


Into the Hills

by taffetaDirigible



Series: RTPKMN [3]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Roosterteeth/Pokemon AU, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-04
Updated: 2013-08-04
Packaged: 2017-12-22 11:18:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/912586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taffetaDirigible/pseuds/taffetaDirigible
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With one badge under his belt, Michael heads off to the second city of his journey, accompanied by the breeder who helped him win. New challenges await in the form of a nefarious organization known as Team Rocket...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The sun was going down behind the clouds. The rain had let off mid-afternoon as it had every day so far on their journey, giving Michael and Gavin the opportunity to build a fire, dry off, eat and set up camp before it started again, destined to pour through the night. Gavin let out a silent prayer that maybe, just maybe, there would be some sign of civilization over the next rise. He wished with every fiber of his being for a small village or even some kind of friendly hermetic individual living out in the wooded hills with a dry floor and four walls and a solid roof.

Gavin was guarding their tarp-draped bikes and packs of supplies at the edge of some thick undergrowth while Michael scouted ahead, looking for a shelter or some sign that they were within a reasonable distance of their destination.

When Michael came back into view, he was frowning and carrying an armful of firewood. Which meant they were camping.

Again.

 

Gavin’s eyes went wide as another crash of thunder rang out over their heads. Michael seemed unaffected in his sleeping bag, inches away from Gavin inside their shared tent. This was the third night of camping in the rain since leaving Cobbleton, and Gavin was thoroughly over it. He missed sleeping in a bed, he missed being truly dry and comfortable, and he couldn’t express any of it for fear of Michael losing respect for him. _Besides, I’m not willing to slow us down_ , he told himself, probably for the thousandth time.

Their beautiful afternoon send-off from Cobbleton into the hills had quickly turned into a rainy early evening. They’d taken shelter with a gardener along the route, but the rain had continued into the morning and showed no signs of stopping. They had no choice but to press forward anyway or lose precious time, so far as Michael was concerned.

Now on the fourth night of rain-addled troubles, Gavin was ready to tear his hair out, scowling at the vinyl wall of the tent. “Is this really how it’s gonna be?" he muttered out loud.

"Hmm?" Michael replied, causing Gavin to jump slightly in surprise.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I was, thunder woke me up," Michael murmured, his voice sleepy and content, a complete contrast to Gavin’s tightly wound nerves.

"I can’t sleep at _all_ ," Gavin whined. He hadn’t meant to. But there it was.

A beat passed between them.

"I hope you aren’t having second thoughts-"

"I’m not!" Gavin sighed, shifting his position to lay flat on his back, arms splaying out on either side of him. “I’m really not. I just didn’t think it would rain _non stop_."

"Well why not?"

"Why _not?_ " Gavin actually sat up at that, letting out a low scoff. “Why should I assume _that?_ ”

Michael laughed right back, now fully awake. “Um, I dunno, maybe because we’re going to Iron Springs? It rains basically all the time in this part of the region. Which is great practice really, since Gym Leader Ali is a Water type specialist."

Gavin flushed hard, glad for the darkness of their tent. This wasn’t the first time in the past few days that he’d been ignorant about what were probably insignificant things, but each one of them itched their way under his skin, staying with him. Michael’s words about “really fucking needing him" hung heavy like an invisible weight across his shoulders and he was determined to stay relevant to the journey. It was his reason for being there, or so he told himself. Back in Cobbleton, he had held the upper hand. He had known about Gym Leader Ryan and the native Pokemon. But out here in the strange forest and the _constant_ rain, Gavin felt utterly, utterly lost.

"Ah," he muttered out. “Right."

"So you awake?"

There wasn’t any mockery in Michael’s voice, and Gavin’s irritation started to melt away, at least slightly.

"Basically, yeah."

"So how do you think we should go about it?"

"About what?"

"About Gym Leader _Ali_ , man. What should we catch? What’s our strategy gonna be?"

"You mean you don’t have a plan?"

Michael sighed hard, reaching out to shove Gavin in the shoulder, earning a soft curse and a laugh. “Well yeah I could come up with something, but I wanna know what _you_ think. We’re a team, right?"

Gavin could feel himself smiling despite his annoyance. While Michael would occasionally tease and riff with him, there always seemed to be an underlying, unwavering respect for Gavin’s abilities. It made him slightly uncomfortable but pleased all the same, still a little overwhelmed by it all.

"Well, you’re pretty set for this Gym. Between Dash and your Bellsprout you’ve got a crazy advantage over Water. If anything, we should be thinking ahead to whatever city you want to head to after that and see if we can’t find anything here that might be useful in the future.

"Goldboro," Michael replied without thinking.

Gavin’s lips pursed, impressed. “I guess you have this all planned out, huh?"

"Geoff’s recommended strategy. There might be two towns later on that I switch but other than that I agree with his logic."

"You think Ray’s going the same path?"

"Without a doubt. If for nothing else than because he knows I will."

Gavin nodded. This was the prime advantage that Michael had over him, and he vowed privately to educate himself on the subject of the geography of their region. Michael might not have been familiar with every type advantage or species of Pokemon, but he knew exactly where he was going and what kind of conditions to expect along the way. He knew what berries and plants were safe to eat, he knew how to safely maintain a fire, he knew how to look out for oncoming storms and when to settle in for the night.

As for the _source_ of the fire, Gavin could at least lend a hand in that department. Michael had been pleasantly surprised to learn that Gavin’s team included a Vulpix. Not a very high level, but she knew Ember and that was all that mattered.

But having a fire was an impossibility during the recent nights and Gavin often found himself wistfully dreaming ahead to when they could move past this area and sleep under the stars. It was a fantasy he’d been quietly harboring, and it’s inability to be realized was heavily contributing to his sour mood. As if to underscore that fact, thunder crashed again over their heads and Gavin tensed and swore.

"Does it not storm much around Cobbleton?"

"Not this much," Gavin murmured, trying to will himself out of his self-pity. “And when it does, well- I’ve never really had to sleep outside before. Maybe for fun when I was a kid, but not like this."

"It’s gonna get better once we get into town." Michael’s voice was quiet, and Gavin immediately regretted complaining.

"I’m not upset Michael, honestly. It’s really not that bad," Gavin forced a grin, trying to convince himself as much as Michael.

"Nah, it sucks. I know it sucks, I’m just used to it. Plus, I’ve had worse." Michael sighed, folding his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling of their tent.

"How much worse?" Gavin’s voice broke a little and Michael chuckled low in his chest.

"Eh, snow is probably the worst. Deserts aren’t that great, either. Hate to say it, but you’re gonna see it all before this is over."

Gavin was grateful for the near-darkness of their tent, hiding his frown. Intellectually, he’d known about all of this before he ever agreed to accompany Michael on his journey. Facing the reality was an entirely different matter.

"If it makes you feel better, this is the only part of the region with this much constant rain."

That finally got a small laugh out of Gavin, who laid back down with a sigh. “Well I guess there’s a silver lining."

"And hey, if we leave at sunrise we should probably get to Iron Springs tomorrow around noon."

” _Really?_ ”

MIchael had to laugh at Gavin’s enthusiasm. “Yeah man, I was gonna tell you in the morning as a surprise. But that should help you sleep better, yeah?"

Gavin was nearly faint with relief. He was going to get to properly shower, with hot water and soap and everything. “That- that is fantastic."

"You’re damn right it is. I’m sick of eating trail mix and beef jerky for dinner. I figure once we get some decent food and a room we can check out the town and see what’s up with the Gym. I don’t wanna rush into things."

"Seem to have learned your lesson there."

"Shut up."

Michael reached out and gave Gavin a playful shove, and Gavin flushed slightly like he always did whenever Michael teased him like that. And as always, he ignored the accompanying butterflies in his stomach. He wasn’t really sure what it was about Michael that had this effect on him. He knew that he respected Michael and sought his respect in return, but really it was more than that. It had been so long since he’d had someone he could consider a friend around his own age that he didn’t have much to compare things to. So following the usual pattern, he shoved it all down and refused to dwell on it, switching subjects.

"It’s a good plan, though. We should try and pick up some gossip on the Gym Leader, see what you’re gonna be up against."

Michael nodded and yawned and to his surprise, Gavin found himself doing the same.

"Right then. So let’s get some rest. Night Gavin."

"Night Michael."

 

"Oh _yes_ -" Gavin collapsed onto his bed in the Inn, fresh out of the shower and wearing _clean_ clothes for the first time in days. He rolled around indulgently, not even caring that Michael was sitting a few feet away and laughing. “Bloody hell, I never knew being clean could feel so _good_."

Gavin had offered Michael first use of the shower given an impromptu battle just outside the Iron Springs city limits that had left him simultaneously victorious and caked in mud. Noble intentions hadn’t made Gavin’s wait for the bathroom any easier, and now that he’d been able to wash the grime of the past five days off with real soap, he finally felt like a human being again. It was amazing what hot water and clean clothes could accomplish.

"You’re telling me, asshole. You’re not the one who got curbstomped back there."

A few hours ago when Gavin’s nerves were strung to the breaking point and he was drenched to the bone he might have snapped a retort but now couldn’t care less. Now his world consisted of soft fabric and his own smooth skin and pleasant, fresh scents. “Whatever," he murmured out, flopping onto his stomach and pulling a pillow up under his chin so he could face Michael. Gavin had, in fact, advised Michael against accepting the challenge at the gates, desperate to get out of the rain. “It was just some local kid, you didn’t have to go and make a mess just because he called you a coward-"

"He called me a _pussy-shit_ -"

"-and we both knew he didn’t stand a chance but you just _had_ to go and _oof hey!_ " Gavin laughed as he threw the pillow back at Michael that had just connected with his face, sitting up to better fend off future attacks.

"Whatever, that was awesome back there."

"Yeah, maybe if I hadn’t just crawled through the rain for four days."

"Well then, your majesty, maybe we can pick up some sort of traveling pavilion here in town to take with us lest you continue to be subjected to the elements-"

Michael didn’t have a chance to react before Gavin sprang off his bed and onto the other, pillow gripped in both hands and getting one good swat in before Michael started to fight back and try to wrench it out of Gavin’s grasp. Michael might have had more physical training throughout his life, but Gavin was thoroughly enjoying releasing the stress of the past few days, bringing the pillow up over his head and down again with all the strength in his arms. Michael found himself getting beaten back, arms raising to cover his face, laughing as he scrambled away. Adrenaline raced through his veins, just as strung out as Gavin from their time in the woods, keyed up even more so from the recent battle. He fought back dirty, his hands sneaking up under Gavin’s arms, tickling him ruthlessly.

"You asshole!" Gavin sputtered out between giggles, pillow falling from his grasp as he was forced to defend the shifting vulnerable points on his body that Michael was attacking. First his armpits then the bottoms of his feet then back up to his sides and up the front of his shirt until Gavin was streaming tears and gasping for breath. “Time out! Time out, dammit!"

Michael complied but didn’t move, and from one blink to the next realized his hand was still up Gavin’s shirt, warm skin against his palm. He could feel Gavin’s erratic heartbeat, the heavy rise and fall of his chest. Darting his gaze up he saw Gavin looking right at him, lips parted as his lungs struggled to catch up. Michael had him effectively pinned to the bed, laying between Gavin’s splayed legs and trapping him with his weight. Despite knowing exactly how they’d ended up in that position, Michael’s brain seemed to freeze up, now out of clever moves.

"So, ah-" Gavin broke the silence, flushed and disheveled, pointedly not addressing their situation. “We should get something to eat, yeah?"

Michael seized onto the subject like a life-line, pulling away from Gavin to turn around and rummage through one of his packs. “Yeah, absolutely. I’m fuckin’ starving."

Gavin in turn rose up and brushed himself off, raking his fingers through his hair and laughing quietly, letting out a deep sigh as he finally seemed to regain control of his breathing, ignoring the maelstrom of confusion swirling about inside his head.

"I saw a place that looked promising on the way here. Rain’s starting to let up for the afternoon, we should check out as much as we can while it’s dry," Michael murmured over his shoulder, shrugging his jacket on.

Gavin nodded in silent agreement, pulling his shoes on and standing up to self-consciously smooth down the front of his shirt. When Michael stepped into his field of vision he already had his hat on, beckoning towards the door and smiling. Hunger won out over all else, and Gavin smiled back, right behind him on their way out.

 

It hadn’t taken long for Michael to backtrack and find the cafe he’d seen on their trek into Iron Springs. There were a few tables on the patio outside, and Gavin had suggested they take advantage of the clear sky to get a look around as they ate. It was their first real meal since the morning they’d left Cobbleton and Gavin hadn’t realized until there was food in his hands how hungry he was, his stomach complaining loudly as they situated themselves at their table. Michael hadn’t been able to wait, taking several generous bites of his sandwich before they even sat down.

For a few minutes they ate in hedonistic silence, Gavin’s eyes rolling back in his head when the taste of fresh bread, cheese and vegetables hit his tongue. Michael swallowed hard around a particularly satisfying mouthful of food, pounding his fist on the table and laughing at himself. “God _dammit_ this is some good shit."

"Mmhmm," Gavin agreed, only half paying attention, unable to fully pull away from his sandwich. It was by far the most Michael had ever seen him eat at once and he was mildly impressed.

Gradually they both slowed down, gnawing hunger placated for the time being. Michael’s world slowly started to expand past the boundaries of his plate, sitting back in his chair to casually watch the people walking by. It was difficult to tell who was a trainer here in Iron Springs. Everyone was covered from head to toe in rain-proof gear, even during the afternoon “break". The front desk clerk at their Inn had warned them not to venture out without an umbrella, as the weather, though fairly predictable, still had the tendency to act with a life of it’s own. Gavin had grabbed one despite Michael shrugging the warning off.

In the distance Michael could make out the roof of the Gym, several blocks away but taller than any of the surrounding buildings. Though still no Lazuli City, the Gym looked impressive, certainly more so than Cobbleton’s appeared from the outside.

"Think we can make it over to the Gym before the rain starts again?" Gavin asked, echoing Michael’s thoughts.

"Possibly," Michael replied, absently chewing on his drink’s straw. “Honestly I don’t think it matters. Gym battles are typically scheduled for early in the day, so we’re gonna have to walk in the rain to get there when I’m ready to take on Ali. You’re not gonna like this, but I think we should train in it for a few days."

"In what? The _rain?_ ”

"Yeah," Michael sighed. “Might as well get used to it. Gonna have to show up soaked and probably get doused several more times once I’m _in_ there. Water’s her turf, gonna have to be able to deal with it."

Gavin just laughed and shook his head. “It had to be the first bloody Gym since I joined up with you, didn’t it? Couldn’t go to a town with a nice _Normal_ specialist or Grass or something.

"Hey, at least we’re getting it over with," Michael replied with a sigh of his own. “I would like to try and check it out today though."

Gavin nodded and took another bite of sandwich, breathing out heavily through his nose. Now that they were actually settled into town the rain didn’t seem quite so apocalyptic like it had in the forest. He’d been so distracted by his discomfort that he hadn’t even given any thought to catching new Pokemon, breeds he’d only ever read about in books or seen on television. Michael was certainly itching for it. Gavin could tell by the restless body language he’d been exhibiting all day, from the moment they’d broken their camp down to the battle outside the city to their brief play-fight in the room that still kept replaying in the back of Gavin’s thoughts. He shook his head to will his mind to a different subject.

"So I think I saw a Pokemart on the walk over here, we should duck in on the way back, see if they’ve got anything useful."

"Good idea," Michael nodded. “We can hit it up after the Gym." He toyed with the paper from his straw for a moment, letting his thoughts swirl around. _Probably shouldn’t spend more than a day or so training. Made up some time by pushing hard through the woods but I still wish we were further along_. It was hard for Michael to play the long game. Back at the Academy his lessons and trials had all had a relatively quick payoff. But it had all been building up to this, and his blunder at Cobbleton was enough of a dark memory to keep himself in check. 

Still, the desire to plow ahead anyway burned deep in his heart.

His mind lingered on his plans while Gavin started to chat about Water types, hypothesizing about what they’d be able to find along the outskirts of Iron Springs. There looked to be a dock connected to a decent sized lake on the other side of town and Gavin had his fishing pole in one of their packs. Michael’s lips quirked up into a lazy grin as he half-listened, letting his gaze flick about the passerbys. _I’ve got a good feeling about this town. Haven’t even seen any sign of_ \- Michael’s eyes went wide in sudden panic as he met a familiar gaze out in the crowd, hoping maybe he was wrong or could duck away before being recognized.

"Hey, we should probably get going," he blurted out suddenly, interrupting Gavin and starting to ball up the paper trash in front of him.

"Wh-what?" Gavin stuttered, confused at the sudden drastic shift in Michael’s mood. “Michael, what’s wrong?"

"Nothing, just-"

From one moment to the next there was a third body present, standing suddenly next to their table before either Michael or Gavin even had a chance to stand.

With a sigh of resignation, Michael looked from Gavin’s confused face up to his rival.

"Hello, Ray."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello, Ray."

"Hello, Michael. Didn’t mean to interrupt your date."

Michael scowled, rising out of his chair. He was about the same height as Ray, and refused to be stared down at. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be further along by now?"

Ray just shrugged, arms crossed over his chest. “I’m about to take off, actually. Didn’t even think I’d see you here."

"Yeah, likewise." Doing his best not to show it, Michael clamped down on the internal freak-out he was experiencing. Ray consistently brought out the worst in him and he did _not_ want Gavin to see him lose his temper. Not after dragging him through the woods for four and a half days. He took a moment to give his rival a quick glance up and down, rolling his eyes at the ridiculous outfit he realized he was wearing. “Fucking hell Ray, are you wearing a _cape?_ ”

Gavin snickered softly from his seated position and Ray only raised a brief eyebrow at him, his attention still focused on Michael. “It’s for the rain, dumbass. I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but it does that a lot around here."

"That doesn’t explain why you’ve got a fucking rose pinned to it."

"Because roses are awesome. Fuck you."

Michael’s eyes narrowed, breathing out heavily through his nose. “Well it was great seeing you. We’ve gotta get going. You understand." He started to step away but Ray’s arm shot out, blocking his path.

"Just like that? Not even gonna introduce me?" Ray gestured with his chin in Gavin’s direction, who’d been staring wide-eyed at the entire exchange. “Pretty rude, Michael."

Michael had zero desire to drag Gavin into the complicated mess he had going with Ray, but Gavin stood up on his own, his expression unreadable as he took a few steps forward to be included in the conversation. Letting out a heavy sigh, Michael gestured briefly between the two of them. “Gavin, as I’m sure you’ve figured out, this is Ray."

Ray grinned in a way that made Michael’s blood boil as he held out a hand for Gavin to shake, which he tentatively did.

"And Ray, this is Gavin. He’s from around Cobbleton, he’s traveling with me. Now we’ve gotta go."

Ray let go of Gavin’s hand after gripping it for probably a moment too long. His eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, still wearing the same smug expression he had since he’d walked up to their table. “Right. I’m on my way out of town as it is. Surprised you caught up with me this fast. Not fast enough, though." Michael just rolled his eyes again as Ray pulled back the mantle of his cape to reveal two badges pinned to the front of his shirt.

"Come on, let’s go," Michael muttered to Gavin, already moving, heading for the main thoroughfare the cafe was located on, trash disposed of. Gavin didn’t hesitate, giving Ray a brief, awkward wave before he picked up his pace to catch up.

"Your boyfriend’s hot!" Ray yelled from behind them, and Michael didn’t even glance back, simply holding his middle finger up over his shoulder.

Once they were a decent distance away, Michael let out a deep breath, his shoulders sagging. “So that was Ray."

Gavin just chuckled a little under his breath, shaking his head. “He doesn’t really think I’m your boyfriend, does he?"

Michael’s blood chilled as he choked at the question, trying to play it off as a cough. “What? No. He’s just being a douche, trying to piss me off. Like that shit with the cape."

Gavin just raised an eyebrow. “You think he wears a cape to piss you off?"

"He _does_ wear a cape to piss me off! It’s like, part of his psychological warfare. He’s always done stuff like that. Weird, psyche-out shit. I think he started off doing it ironically but now it’s just part of his regular personality. Fucking prick."

Neither of them knew their way around this town, but the direction of the Gym was obvious. All the roads seemed to lead towards it, and Michael and Gavin just kept up with the natural flow of foot traffic.

"I guess he’s already beat Ali, huh?"

"Yeah, obviously," Michael sighed, thoroughly annoyed. He’d been in such a good mood, too. “There’s no way he couldn’t have by now. Might’ve even done it this morning. Probably yesterday though, if he’s about to skip town."

Gavin pursed his lips for a moment in thought. “Well you _are_ catching up to him, then. He beat the Cobbleton Gym almost a week before you did, right? A day or two before you got there, then you ended up beating Ryan after another four. Now Ray’s only a day or less ahead of you."

"Well I’m definitely not ready for Ali." Michael paused to look up as they approached the Iron Springs Gym. It was an impressive sight, several stories taller than the Gym back at Cobbleton. There were grooves running all the way down the tall, slanted metal roof, and the regular rain had worn ethereal patterns of greens and blues into the stone front of the building. Intentional or not, the effect was both intimidating and beautiful, creating the illusion of approaching a massive, underwater fortress. Michael glanced back over his shoulder to see Gavin’s reaction, who was staring slack-jawed.

"It’s like something out of a storybook," Gavin murmured. “I’ve never seen anything like it."

While Michael might not have been quite as awed, he couldn’t help but agree. But ethereal or not, it still bore the emblem of the League, and Michael’s lust for victory took over. “So let’s go in, yeah?" He was already halfway up the stairs to the main entrance before Gavin replied.

"What… now?"

"Yeah, come on. I wanna see what’s up."

Cautiously, Gavin followed. Michael was waiting at the top for him and they walked through together, both sets of eyes going wide at the sight of the lobby.

"Holy _shit_ ," Michael breathed out, gawking just as shamelessly as Gavin at the floor-to-ceiling aquariums that covered the vast majority of the interior walls, the only breaks being the registration desk and the doors, both to the outside and to the interior Arena. Michael scanned the tank inhabitants for Pokemon, but they appeared to all be just regular fish. Still though, the sight was breathtaking, and was surely accomplishing the desired effect.

"Just in case you still hadn’t figured it out, this is a Water type Gym," Gavin murmured under his breath, coaxing a snicker out of Michael that he quickly hid behind his hand as he noticed the League Official sitting at the registration desk looking their way.

Michael put on his best smile and walked right up to the desk, tugging at the corners of his jacket in a self-conscious habit. The current official at the post was an older woman seated behind a computer screen with a calm, pleasant smile on her face. Everything about the situation was a vastly different experience from the Gym at Cobbleton, and Michael felt refreshed at the clean slate.

"Welcome to the Iron Springs Gym. Are you here to challenge Gym Leader Ali?"

"Not today," Michael replied, giving a brief nod of respect. “I’d like to know about the registration process, though."

The official nodded back. “Are you new to our town?"

"I am, yes ma’am. Just arrived a few hours ago. We’re staying at the Inn a few blocks back, near the cafe," he gestured with his thumb in the vague direction of the Inn. “Hoping to sign up to challenge in maybe two days."

"We?" the League Official raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly to the left to try and see who Michael was talking about. Gavin had been doing his best to stay out of the way, but at the question peered his head around Michael’s shoulder to smile and give a nervous wave. “Will you also be challenging Gym Leader Ali?"

"Ah, no, not me, just him," Gavin replied in the quiet, respectful way Michael noticed he spoke around League Officials and those associated with the Gyms. “I’m a breeder, just here to help out and such."

Though her eyebrow stayed raised, she didn’t linger on the subject, turning her attention back to Michael. “Right then. I’d suggest signing up the afternoon before you plan to battle. While there are often time slots available the morning of, nothing is guaranteed."

Michael nodded. “Am I allowed to ask you any details?"

It looked for a moment like the woman’s lips were twitching into a smile, but she quickly re-assumed her professional neutral expression. “You are. I’m not necessarily obligated to answer, but go ahead."

Michael paused in thought for a brief moment, trying to carefully phrase his question. “Do a lot of trainers beat the Gym Leader on the first try?"

At that, the League Official did allow herself to smile, if only slightly, pleased that Michael understood what would be appropriate to ask. “No. However, just yesterday a young man who looked about your age was able to. It was the first time I’ve personally seen it happen in quite some time."

Michael nodded, glancing over his shoulder at Gavin who met his gaze and nodded back. _Ray_. “Right, well thank you for your help. I suppose I’ll see you again in a few days." The woman gave a brief nod and turned her attention back to her screen as Michael turned on his heel back towards the door. He and Gavin made their way down the stone steps of the Gym in silence, walking for about a block before either of them spoke.

"Still wanna stop at the Pokemart?"

Michael’s head had been in the clouds, Gavin’s voice bringing him back to reality. “Yeah, thanks for reminding me. Hey, uh, where are we?"

"It’s this way, I think," Gavin replied, glancing behind them to get a look at the retreating edifice of the Gym, trying to remember which direction they’d walked towards it from.

Michael thought he recognized the street they were on, but felt as though they’d approached it from a different angle before. Also different from before, there was a small crowd gathered around a man standing on some sort of wooden crate. He came off as a pontificator, his voice loud enough to hear but not clear enough to make out anything he was saying from their distance. A few similarly dressed individuals stood on the street level near the group, passing fliers out to passerbys, most of whom ignored them, rejecting the pamphlets or quickly tossing them in the trash.

"What’s going on over there?" Gavin asked under his breath, giving Michael a soft jab with his elbow for emphasis.

"I’m not sure," Michael squinted and tried to get an idea without walking too close. “Could be some kind of doomsday crazy _oh_ -" His eyes narrowed in recognition, looking away sharply.

"What?"

"It’s nothing we wanna fuck with, keep walking."

Gavin’s curiosity was ready to eat him alive, but something about the look on Michael’s face stalled further questions, at least for the time being. He pressed his lips together and focused on keeping up with Michael’s hurried pace. As they rounded the corner to the next side street, Gavin happened to catch a glimpse of one of the rejected fliers, crumbled and dirty on the ground, but still clearly bearing a large, red, letter R.

 

Back in the privacy their room at the Inn, after dropping the subject for the rest of their walk back plus their trip to the Pokemart, Gavin persisted.

"Trust me, it’s better if you just don’t know."

"Well what if we see them again?"

"We ignore them."

” _Michael_ -”

With a heavy sigh, Michael turned around to face Gavin, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Alright, look. Fine. I just. It’s something I’d rather you didn’t know."

Gavin was sitting on the side of his bed, legs hanging over the edge. “Why?"

"Because-" Michael sat crossed legged on his, irritation written all over his face. “They’re bad people. It’s gonna bum you out." Gavin came across as so innocent to Michael, sometimes. Most of the time. He didn’t want to have to be the one to tell him about how awful the world could be.

Gavin frowned, pulling his bandana off and scratching at the back of his head. “I’m not a little kid. You’re like, barely a year older than me."

"I know," Michael muttered, letting out a heavy sigh. “Look. Okay. They call themselves Team Rocket. They’re… extremists. I don’t know how else to put it. They steal Pokemon."

Gavin nodded slightly. “I’ve heard of groups like that. When my grandparents would talk to travelers and whatnot."

"Yeah, well. These guys are the worst. They don’t actually care about Pokemon, just money. If they realize they’ve stolen something valuable, they’ll either try to sell it or extort ransom. They’re notoriously cruel. They’ve also got money in shady technology. They- they’ll do experiments-" Michael couldn’t bring himself to go into much more detail. The memory of the conversation he’d had with Geoff on the subject was traumatic enough without having to repeat it out loud.

Gavin’s eyes went dark, and to Michael’s relief, he didn’t pry further on that subject. “I see."

"That’s just like, the upper levels though. Most of the people you’ll see running around with those stupid R’s on their shirts are pretty far down the food chain. They’re called “grunts". Basically just paid bullies hyping their ridiculous cult. If they can steal something then great, but for the most part they’re just picking fights. Intimidation type stuff. I’m pretty sure that was a recruiter and a few grunts we saw back there."

"I see. How are they able to get away with all that, though? Surely the League-"

"They’re not welcome in the League. That’s why I think they’re so fucking nuts. It’s like, once you’ve signed on to Team Rocket you’re basically banned from League events for life. No Gyms, no Academy, don’t even think about hitting the Obsidian Plateau. Why anyone would sacrifice their career like that is beyond me."

Gavin blinked, trying to wrap his head about everything he was hearing. “So what’s- what’s even the point?"

Michael shrugged, exasperated. “I don’t even know. But they’re fucking unhinged. Geoff warned me about them during training. They don’t have a lot of influence out here in the towns we’re hitting now. But eventually we’re gonna see larger groups of them, I think they even have an established Headquarters somewhere in our region. They promise people a quick profit and in the short term are often able to deliver. But whatever else they’re offering people to join up shouldn’t appeal to anyone decent or sane. I don’t think Ray would even fuck around with what they’ve got going on. It’s toxic shit. And once it gets on you you’re fucking dirty."

"Should we be worried? That they’re here in town?"

"Nah," Michael stared down at his sock-clad feet, toying with the fabric where it bunched up at his ankles. “They’re pretty much in every town. I’m not gonna say they’re harmless, but as long as you don’t express interest they usually leave people alone. They know the law and they stay precariously on the right side of it. The grunts, that is. If we see someone who actually looks like they’ve got some authority, then we get worried. I don’t see that happening, though. Because we’re not gonna get involved."

Michael’s resolve sounded firm, and Gavin didn’t see a reason to doubt him. _What business would we even have getting tangled up in an organization like that?_ As much as it hurt him to know that people like that were out there, he still felt better off being aware. “I’m glad you told me," Gavin said quietly, scooting himself back towards the center of his bed and sticking his feet under the covers to get warm. “At least now I know _why_ we should avoid them."

"I just didn’t want to be the one to have to tell you," Michael murmured, following suit and pulling his bed’s blankets up around him. It wasn’t terribly late, but the sun was down and both of them were exhausted. The downpour had started up again right when they were making it back to the Inn, and the sound of raindrops on the building’s roof was hypnotic.

Gavin nodded and yawned, reaching for the bedside lamp and shutting it off. “I get that. But I’m still glad you told me."

Michael let out a small sigh and pulled off his glasses, setting them on the table next to him. “It’s a crappy thing to go to bed thinking about."

Trying to act nonchalant, Gavin just shrugged. “Michael, there is way too much else on my mind right now, don’t go guilting yourself into thinking that’s gonna keep me up tonight. I’m just glad to be sleeping in a bed."

"You’re telling me," Michael yawned, already flat on his back, wasting no time getting comfortable. “We’re gonna sleep the fuck in tomorrow, too. Or least I am. So don’t fucking wake me up."

Gavin laughed. “Wouldn’t think of it. Goodnight, Michael."

"Night, Gavin."

Michael immediately deployed his super power of falling asleep at the drop of a hat, but sleep wasn’t quite in Gavin’s immediate future.

Gradually his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, able to make out the vague shapes of furniture and Michael’s sleeping form across the way. Back in the woods he never could have imagined laying awake on his first night back in a real bed. And yet here he was, plagued by memory, and not at all in the way Michael had feared.

For all of the day’s events, waking up in the woods, getting doused in rain and covered in dirt, meeting Ray and seeing the Gym and learning about Team Rocket, Gavin couldn’t get the image out of his head of Michael laying between his legs with his hand up his shirt. Calling up the memory of warm flesh against his own made his pulse race of his skin flush. Michael’s breathing was deep and steady, and Gavin _knew_ he was probably asleep, but that didn’t stop him from startling at every small natural noise and creak of furniture in the room. Even though he wasn’t _doing_ anything, he felt guilty just laying there and thinking about it.

He knew he didn’t dare touch himself, not when the chance of getting caught was so high and beyond not worth the risk. _You’re just stressed out_ , he told himself, swallowing hard and trying to get the memory out of his head, but it had just been so _long_ since he had a moment’s privacy to himself to take care of certain needs. Gavin fumed silently as he wondered how Michael was able to cope with it. They were both young men, surely Michael was no saint in that department-

_Should have done something about it in the shower earlier_ , he thought with a sigh. _That’s probably when Michael did_ \- The visual that called up only made the situation exponentially worse. Gavin grit his teeth in frustration, clenching his jaw around a groan that threatened to escape his throat.

That whole bit about Ray suggesting they were boyfriends wasn’t helping things, either. Gavin knew, was fucking _well aware_ that there wasn’t a chance in hell of anything actually happening between them, and it was all just hormones and he’d never even considered himself to be attracted to guys before and Michael would probably be grossed out if he knew the things that were going through Gavin’s head and shit, _Gavin_ might have even been grossed out by it in a different mood at a different time-

Without making a conscious decision Gavin could feel his hand slipping under the covers, the heel of his palm pressing in a firm, deliberate motion down the front of his crotch. His head turned to face the wall opposite Michael, choking on a moan and burying his face in the pillow. His eyes wrenched shut in anguish, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he did something about his situation. His body was desperate for friction, the scope of his mind narrowed to a single, focused need.

Doing his best to keep his movements silent, Gavin shifted and turned to lay on his side, away from Michael, nearly gasping with relief as he let his hand slip down the front of his shorts. His fingers curled around himself and his hips jerked forward of their own free will. It didn’t take long. Just a few moments of clumsy touching, his thoughts now shamelessly lingering on the memory of Michael’s body pinning him down, Michael’s breath on his skin, Michael’s hand on his chest-

In no time at all Gavin was coming hard, muffling the quiet noises that came out despite his best efforts with the pillow he had clenched between his teeth. Immediately, Gavin could feel his muscles go limp, completely relaxed for the first time since they’d left Cobbleton. True exhaustion settled over him like a heavy blanket, and with the last of his strength he reached over to the box of hotel-provided tissues on the table next to his bed, plucking a few and cleaning himself off before sleep could claim him, tossing the evidence across the room and into the trash. All the while, Michael continued to lightly snore, and after a minute or so going by with no reaction or indication that he’d noticed what had been going on, the last of Gavin’s paranoia was put to rest.

With a heavy sigh, he finally drifted off, and for the first time in recent memory, slept the fuck in.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, in a surprising turn of events, Gavin found himself enjoying the rain.

He was perched on the edge of one of Iron Springs’ wharfs with Michael at his side, both of them watching intently at Gavin’s line.

The weather was relatively light by local standards, but rain still pelted both of their backs in light droplets, now thoroughly drenched entering their second hour of fishing.

Though difficult to determine the time of day through the thick clouds, it was well into the afternoon. In yet another first since Michael had entered his life, Gavin had woken up after him, startling awake with the sun fully up, narrow streams of light coming through their window at an odd angle. Uncertainties had been quickly put to rest as Michael had almost immediately entered the room with a tray of food from the lobby. "Must’ve needed the sleep," Michael had grinned at Gavin’s bewildered expression, pressing a glass of juice into his hand.

Gavin’s hair was plastered flat to his head, messy wet bangs clinging to his skin. In spite of everything he was smiling, wicked grin spread across his features as his line went tight, his hand reaching subconsciously for Michael’s shoulder, shaking it in excitement. Depending on what came out would determine which of them would challenge. It was the pattern they’d been following all afternoon, alternating between leveling their teams and catching new Water Pokemon.

Both young men held their breath as the surface of the water broke in the violent splash. Michael’s brow furrowed as the ugly stone-scaled fish-type Pokemon emerged from the water, but Gavin’s eyes widened in delight.

"I want it!" he happily exclaimed, hand poised at his belt, eyes glancing to the side waiting for confirmation. Michael just smiled and shrugged, gesturing his hand forward in an exaggerated motion. “Alright, get out there Tesla!" Gavin murmured, throwing his Rotom into play. The wild Pokemon here in Iron Springs were a higher level than anything he’d encountered back in Cobbleton, and it was a delight to let his team flex their strength. “Double Team!" Both Gavin and Michael had to look away from the disorienting move, Tesla’s body blurring as he raised his evasiveness. The wild fish Pokemon tried to launch an attack, but Double Team’s effect was immediate, Tesla gracefully dodging, eager for the next command.

Gavin grinned as he chewed his lip in thought.

"What is it?" MIchael mumbled, pulling out his Pokedex and flipping the screen open.

"Feebas," read the digital voice.

"ThunderShock!"

Lightning raced across the surface of the lake to connect with the poor Feebas, helpless against Gavin’s type advantage. Without hesitation he threw an empty Pokeball.

"It is the shabbiest Pokemon of all," Michael’s Pokedex explained, displaying an image of a Feebas on the screen. “It forms in schools and lives at the bottom of rivers."

"Shabbiest of _all_ , Gavin," Michael snickered as the Pokeball snapped closed and settled.

Gavin just snorted as he watched his new catch’s information load into his Gear. “That’s rubbish. Aww, and look, it’s a girl. What should I name her, Michael?"

"You’re asking me what to name your ugly fish Pokemon?"

"I don’t think she’s ugly," Gavin laughed, an affectionate smile playing on his lips. “I shall name her Theodora."

Michael just sighed and shook his head. “I’m still trying to figure you out. What the hell do you want with a Feebas?"

"They’re an interesting breed," Gavin replied, snapping the display closed on his Pokegear. “Most people regard them as a nuisance, as they’re prone to over-population. And they’re incredibly unpopular with trainers."

"And _you_ want one."

Gavin’s eyes sparkled with secrets as he gave Michael a smile and a shrug.

Michael pursed his lips but didn’t push the subject further, turning his attention skyward. “How long do you think we’ve been out here?"

Gavin followed his gaze but saw no answers in the clouds, instead checking the time on his Gear. “Couple hours. Why, you thinking about callin’ it quits?"

"I wouldn’t mind getting out of these wet fucking clothes."

” _You’re_ the one who wanted to train out here in this."

Michael gave Gavin’s shoulder a playful shove, hopping up to his feet and groaning at the way his stiff leg muscles burned. “Yeah, well we’ve been at it long enough." Michael rolled his shoulders back in an exaggerated stretch, shaking his head to crack the joints in his neck, earning a wince and a curse from Gavin.

Gavin wasn’t in much better shape, bracing his hands on his hips once he stood, twisting his spine back and forth. “You’d think sitting down to train wouldn’t leave you this sore," he muttered. “My vertebrae are in knots."

Michael gave a soft laugh of agreement, shrugging his backpack onto his shoulders, already walking in the direction of the Inn. “All part of the glamorous life of a trainer."

 

Back in the room, Gavin found himself the victim of his own big mouth.

They’d both shuffled in wet and sore, shamelessly stripping off their shirts and toweling off. Gavin had quickly turned around when he saw Michael’s pants come off, only shedding the last of his own soaked clothing after Michael had ducked into the bathroom. Once dry and re-clothed, Michael had complained about the pain in his shoulders and without stopping to think, Gavin had offered to give him a massage.

Michael raised an eyebrow. “You know massage?"

Gavin’s face flushed red, immediately regretting his words. “It’s pretty standard training for breeders," he replied self-consciously. “Good for Pokemon, you know? It’s calming and therapeutic. And all that."

Michael paused for a moment in thought and nodded slowly, his eyes darting to the side. “Well. If you’re offering."

And that was how Gavin found himself seated behind a shirtless Michael, grateful to the position for allowing his flustered expression to go unseen. Gavin’s legs were crossed, letting all the air out of his lungs before he tentatively brought his hands down onto Michael’s shoulders. The tips of his fingers prodded the flesh experimentally. He was met with immediate resistance, the tension in Michael’s muscles rebelling against the touch, wrenching a hissed breath out of Michael’s throat that he was quick to silence. Gavin swallowed hard, blinked, and forced himself to breathe.

"So ah-" he said out of a desperation to fill the silence, trying to distract himself as his training took over his hands, performing methodically all on their own. “Think you’re ready for Ali?"

Michael let out a deep breath as he willed himself to relax, his head hanging low between his shoulders. “Uh- maybe," he managed to get out. Gavin’s hands were debilitating in the best way, finding knots in his shoulders and neck and upper back and coaxing them free. Michael had been on the receiving end of backrubs before but nothing like this, and he marveled absently at the way Gavin’s hands knew exactly where to work, how to press, when to back off and when to push harder. Little sharp spasms repeatedly raced down Michael’s spine as Gavin exercised his skill, the problem areas first tight to the point of pain and then suddenly _loose_ , the release of pleasurable brain chemicals threatening to overload Michael’s senses. The result was making him shiver uncontrollably, eyes shut tight. He attempted to breathe normally. “Thought that I’d- yanno. Train more. In the morning. Sign up after. For the next day. _Fuck_ -" Gavin’s fingers worked at a particularly difficult spot between his shoulder blades and the resulting rush of endorphins made his world spin. “How are you so good at this?"

"Practice," Gavin murmured in response, quietly pleased at the compliment. He’d never thought much of this particular skill before. It was simply part of his training, and like the rest of it, he’d taken his education on the subject very seriously.

He worked in silence for another minute or so before voicing his thoughts again.

"You’re impossibly tense," Gavin muttered under his breath. “I’d ask what you’ve been doing lately, but I’m all too aware."

Michael chuckled in response, the muscles in his shoulders shuddering under Gavin’s ministrations. “Living the dream." Gavin could feel his own nerves unbending a little, muscle memory overriding his self-consciousness over putting his hands on Michael in such an intimate way. He’d been thoroughly trained, sure, but his experience lay primarily with Pokemon, and occasionally his old, sweet grandmother’s feet when she’d had a rough day of work. This was entirely different, his heartbeat thudding in his chest and vibrating against Michael’s back, having to fight against startling whenever Michael’s muscles tensed and twitched under his hands. Michael’s pulse raced through the pads of his fingers straight to his gut, both of them going tense for a brief nanosecond as Gavin’s fingers encountered a sensitive batch of nerves.

Gavin’s eyes narrowed in frustration as Michael’s shoulders bunched up under his hands, undoing his work. “You’re not relaxing, Michael."

"I’m trying, ah-" Michael clenched his jaw, shoulders flushing the same color as his heated cheeks when Gavin pressed his thumbs in firm little circles at the base of his neck. It felt good. _Too_ good. And part of the reason Michael couldn’t bring himself to relax was because he was desperately trying not to moan.

Gavin pulled his lower lip between his teeth as he tentatively snaked his fingers up to either side of Michael’s head, rubbing at his temples. “Just let yourself breathe."

Michael’s jaw went slack at the sensation, all the air rushing out of his lungs. " _Fuck_ -" he gasped, starting to tense again when Gavin’s fingers traveled back to his shoulders but finally putting away his pride, groaning emphatically as Gavin’s hands found yet another set of bunched nerves.

Gavin blinked and blushed a deep crimson, but didn’t comment on the torrent of moans and curses Michael unleashed now that the floodgates were open. To keep his own breathing steady, Gavin let his eyes flutter closed, doing his best to ignore the way Michael’s voice was affecting him.

Ever so gradually, Michael started to go limp under Gavin’s hands.

Michael long tirade of expletives quieted and faded, and Gavin soon found himself rubbing his open palms up and down the smooth plane of Michael’s back in a soothing motion, out of knots to release, silently admiring his handiwork.

"So, day after tomorrow, yeah?"

"I think so," Michael breathed out, the pitch of his voice low and relaxed.

Gavin smiled. “I think you’re ready."

"Yeah," Michael mumbled, his head sagging low between his slack shoulder blades. “I think so, too."

Gavin could tell that Michael was falling asleep, and gave him an affection pat on the shoulder before rising up and moving back to his own bed. “You should get some rest. Bet you’ll sleep great after all that."

"Mhm," Michael replied around a yawn, turning to smile at Gavin, shuffling under the covers. “Thanks, by the way. That really helped."

Gavin smiled back, doing his best to settle his expression into a pleasant mask.

In mere moments, Michael was asleep. Hours went by before Gavin joined him in unconsciousness.

 

Déjà vu washed over Michael’s senses as he heard his name called by the League Official within the Iron Springs Gym. He stood with a nervous grin, snapping his attention back to the present from staring at the aquariums that lined the lobby.

Like last time, Gavin followed a step behind Michael past the double doors to the interior chamber. Unlike last time, however, Michael had Senior Trainers to face, and Gavin quickly snuck aside to join the ranks of spectators.

Michael frowned, events progressing quicker than he would have liked, giving Gavin a quick wave before his attention turned to the challenges before him.

Their time spent leveling hadn’t provided any new members to Michael’s team, nothing that he felt the desire to compete with, anyways. Gavin’s advice back in the woods had been solid enough, and Michael had dedicated the past two days to expanding the strengths he already possessed. Unlike Ryan’s Gym, Ali’s four Senior Trainers were speckled throughout a massive pool that took up the majority of the Gym’s interior. The Trainers were clad in bathing suits and goggles, and Michael noticed with a quirk of his lips that all four of them were female. A small part of his brain wondered what the rest of the Gyms would look like, if his first two could be so drastically different.

Michael’s thoughts didn’t have any more time to wander before the first Senior Trainer challenged him with her lone Pokemon. His mind instantly began taking notes. The number of Pokemon that a Gym Leader possessed to battle with could often be deduced through the number of Pokemon their Senior Trainers had on deck. One member to a team was a good sign.

Michael’s eyes narrowed as he cast Dash’s ball out to accept the challenge and begin the battle, both Ryan and Geoff’s words echoing in his mind. _"It’s okay to be ruthless."_

"Dash! Spark!"

The Senior Trainer’s single Water type didn’t stand a chance.

Despite not having reached Gym Leader Ali, the rows of spectators murmured their polite approval. Michael dared to check a glance, smiling to himself when he saw Gavin staring intently in his direction.

He turned to face the second Senior Trainer. She, too, had a one member team, and Michael let a thin veil of confidence settle over him as he began to clinically carve a path to the leader of the Gym.

In the stands, Gavin spared a look to sum up Gym Leader Ali, perched upon a raised chair at the head of the Gym’s massive aquatic battle arena, reminiscent of a life guard’s tower. Her gaze was fixed upon Michael, expression blank. Gavin could only guess that she was sizing up the competition that was rapidly approaching.

Michael and Gavin had made a point to frequent the Iron Springs Pokemart, and before Michael took the final few steps towards Ali, he took full advantage of his arsenal of Potions and status healers. So far, he’d been able to cling to the concrete edges of the massive pool while to he took on the Senior Trainers, but upon approaching Ali realized he had no choice but to enter the water. There were two floating opposing platforms in the center of the wide pool at the head of the Gym, with no way to reach them but to jump in.

Gym Leader Ali arched one elegant pink eyebrow in Michael’s direction. It was clearly a challenge, and Michael wondered to himself how many trainers had balked at the notion of swimming out to a raft to battle.

_Ray has her badge. I’m not too proud for this shit._

Frowning at the implied challenge, Michael shrugged off his jacket and shoes. Without another moment’s hesitation, he jumped into the vast pool, jeans and all his glasses gripped tightly in one hand. The cold water hit him like a punch to the gut, shocking his system. But he didn’t dare hesitate, not with everyone watching. Not with so much on the line. Sparing them no mind, he focused on passing through the water that to _him_ was impossibly cold.

The crowd buzzed unintelligibly to Michael’s ears as he finally climbed up onto the floating platform, crafted of a bizarre, light-weight, plastic-like substance. The maneuver had taken only a matter of seconds but to Michael time had crawled by painfully slow, his extremities trembling despite his attempts to still them. With a nod of approval and a wry grin, Gym Leader Ali dove into the water from her elevated chair. _Her_ movements were perfectly graceful, arching up into the air before curving down and passing through the water like she was as naturally aquatic as her team and specialty, breaking the surface and landing in a controlled pose on her own platform while Michael struggled messily to his feet. He was thoroughly drenched, from his hat to his socks, but he couldn’t help but sense approval from the pink-haired Gym Leader. It wasn’t the first time he’d been soaked to the bone lately and he was overwhelmingly grateful he’d decided to do all his recent training outside in the rain.

"Trainer Michael," her voice called out, rich and melodious.

Michael nodded in respectful acknowledgement. Quietly and to himself, he wondered how ridiculous Ray must have looked treading water in his cape. _Unless he’s truly gone off the deep end, I’d hope he left it off_.

"Your reputation precedes you. Is it true that you possess the Smooth Stone badge?"

Michael’s pulse started to race as he reached for the familiar case in his back pocket that the badge was pinned inside, plucking it free and holding it high above his head for the Gym Leader, the League Officials, and the spectators to see.

"Excellent," she replied. “I trust you know the rules."

MIchael nodded.

"Then let us begin. Finneon! Go!"

With a blinding flash of light, huge digital displays came to life on the multi-storied back wall of the Gym.

Gavin’s gaze followed the rest of the spectators, eyes going wide as he read the stats for the first matchup. According to the wall, Ali only had two Pokemon with which to choose from.

Michael’s eyes narrowed in concentration. His team had a level advantage over the Finneon, but Gym Leaders traditionally started with their lowest level. There was no telling where the rest of her team stood. He decided to play it safe.

"Bellsprout, get out there!"

Gym Leader Ali’s smirk grew wider.

"PoisonPowder," Michael called out the moment he realized the first move was his to make. It did no immediate damage, which made for an anti-climactic first move. But Michael wasn’t going for theatrics.

With a nod, Ali retaliated with her own non-physical turn. “Finneon. Rain Dance."

As if Michael weren’t already thoroughly drenched from his walk to the Gym, let alone his dive into the pool, water from the summoned clouds proceeded to pour down upon him. A week or so ago, Michael might have been annoyed or distressed, but after traveling through and subsequently training aggressively in the rain, Michael barely even batted an eye.

"Bellsprout, Wrap!"

The audience gasped as long, organic vines raced across the arena to twist around Ali’s Finneon, constricting without mercy.

It was a turn based attack, not initially powerful, but intended to last over several exchanges. It was a risky move. Neither Pokemon would be able to perform a move until Wrap run out of repetitions.

Rain Dance had the ability to remove the status advantage that Fire had over Water. But not Grass. Both Michael and Ali watched in complete concentration as the Bellsprout got three consecutive turns of damage in before the combination of Wrap and PoisonPowder had finally run it’s course, resulting in Ali’s Finneon fainting.

Michael dared a glance to the stands and chanced a quick smile when he met Gavin’s gaze. Gavin’s eyes were wide, his expression pained with restrained excitement, not wanting to appear over-confident.

Michael forced himself to look away once more.

The League Official announced the results over his microphone, the sound system at the Iron Springs Gym more sophisticated than Cobbleton’s nonexistent counterpart.

Gym Leader Ali gave Michael an enigmatic smile from her platform, casting her second Pokemon out into the Arena. “Show your strength, Staryu!"

Michael hissed in breath in between clenched teeth at the appearance of the powerful Water type Pokemon with a Psychic-peppered move-set.

"Okay," he muttered, mostly to himself. “Okay, right. Um. Bellsprout, return!"

The huge display flashed in limbo as Michael contemplated his options. His Bellsprout had just gained a decent chunk of experience. Dash was the logical choice. No reason to deploy Water against Water with his Goldeen, and Mogar didn’t possess a type advantage.

It almost didn’t seem fair. But Ryan’s words about ruthlessness played once again through his mind.

"Dash! Show ‘em what you’ve got!"

The Luxio manifested next to him on his platform instead of a set distance in front. Though awkward, Michael smirked at what he knew was coming next.

"Dash! Spark!"

Michael had never seen an Electric type moved executed in such as vast body of water before. Suddenly the decision to craft the floating platforms both he and Gym Leader Ali stood upon out of buoyant plastic as opposed to wood made a universe of sense. Lightning infiltrated the conductive pool, blinding everyone within the Gym for brief moment and connecting audibly with Ali’s Staryu.

The display immediately updated with the results of the devastating attack, but Michael winced as Ali called out her next command.

"Staryu! Recover!"

Michael spat and swore under his breath behind the palm he raised to his mouth as Ali’s Staryu regained nearly all of his health.

The match was basically back to square one, and Michael was down one turn.

"Tackle!" Michael yelled out, his left foot lunging forward to plant in a dramatic stance, pulling heavy wet fabric against the sensitive skin of his leg, suppressing a wince of pain.

Once again, the health meter of the Gym Leader’s Staryu dropped to a significantly low percentage, earning murmurs from the audience.

"Rapid Spin!" Ali countered, and Michael actually ducked at the impressive physical attack though it posed no actual threat to his well-being. The Staryu approached dangerously fast, his rotating body smashing into Dash and sending her reeling.

Michael growled, glancing out of the side of his eye to see Dash’s staggering to her feet and favoring one leg, the sight of her hurt and compensating turning his vision red.

"Dash! Bite!" Michael yelled, invoking her highest level move against Ali, which while not Electric still dealt a hefty blow of damage.

The Gym fell silent as Ali’s Staryu fell backwards, his body connecting hard with Ali’s floating platform before she winced and held out the Pokeball for him to retreat to.

Michael gasped in shock. It had all happened so fast.

Before he could properly digest the reality of the situation the League Official’s voice ringing out of the speakers.

"Trainer Michael is victorious!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Trainer Michael is victorious!"

Michael blinked.

The crowd was cheering and Michael was just staring straight ahead. It didn’t feel real, the Senior Trainers, Gym Leader Ali, none of it, and with a growing realization he found that his numbness stemmed from the fact that he was utterly soaked to the bone.

The vast pool he stood in prevented a repeat of the events from back in Cobbleton, biting his lip as he admitted he’d been looking forward to the moment Gavin should have been running over to greet him.

The scoreboard reflected the announcer’s proclamation, the word “WINNER" flashing brightly under Michael’s name. The roar of the crowd was overwhelming.

Gym Leader Ali nodded with satisfaction, her expression set in the same cheshire grin it had held the entire match.

She raised an arm and snapped the fingers in her right hand. The sound echoed against weathered stone.

The foundations of the building shook, and Michael called Dash back to her ball before he had to drop to one knee or topple completely over. All the water was draining from the impressive pool of the Iron Springs Gym, and the stone floor that had previously been impossibly deep was rising up to level with the main floor of the Gym. With a dull groan, the surface became flush, and Michael staggered to keep his balance on what had previously been a flotation device.

Gym Leader Ali stepped off her own platform, walking towards the center of the floor and gesturing for Michael to do the same. He gulped and complied.

"Trainer Michael. I believe you’ve earned this."

Michael wasn’t sure where she’d been keeping it, but in her outstretched hand was the Ingot Badge, and his lips slowly rose into a smile.

He took the step down and met her halfway across the now-dry Arena floor, palm open and waiting, barely able to hear to roar of the crowd over the ringing in his ears.

"If you have a moment, I wouldn’t mind speaking with you in my office."

Michael’s eyes darted back up in mild surprise but nodded all the same in agreement, pinning his second badge into place beside the first. Ali has already turned to walk away, gesturing once over her shoulder, expecting him to follow, which Michael did, jogging to keep up.

The inside of Ali’s office was predictable, lined with aquariums just like the Gym’s lobby, but with Pokemon instead of regular fish. It was difficult to tell just how far back the aquariums went, and Michael gulped hard and balked as the gigantic eye of a Pokemon he had never seen appeared from nowhere and vanished just as quickly as it swam by.

"Trainer Michael." Gym Leader Ali delicately cleared her throat, bringing Michael’s attention back to the present.

"Um, yes?"

"That was pretty impressive out there." Her expression made him uneasy.

"I, ah, thanks."

"Don’t you think so?" She arched a brow and opened a drawer at her desk, pulling out a pair of thick-rimmed glasses and putting them on, shaking her drying hair out and combing it back with her fingers.

"Well-"

"Did it feel too easy?"

The question caught Michael completely off guard, something he was starting to suspect all Gym Leaders of being adept at. He stared at her for a breath, unsure of how to respond.

"You can be honest, it’s okay."

"Well," he paused, searching for words to explain to anti-climactic feeling he couldn’t shake. “It certainly wasn’t _easy_ -”

Gym Leader Ali smiled and closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair with an easy grace. “But you had a pretty stellar type advantage over me. Did you plan that?"

"Dash is my starter," Michael replied softly, running the pad of his thumb across the surface of the Luxio’s ball. “It made sense to use her. I guess I was kind of hoping to get to utilize the rest of my team."

Gym Leader Ali nodded, bridging her fingers. “You’re a smart trainer, Michael. Thorough."

Michael cracked a toothy, unsure smile. “Is thorough good?"

"I’d say so. You’re not an exhibition trainer, you’re in this to challenge the Elite Four, right? That’s not about fancy, showy moves. That’s about _winning_ , as quickly as possible before you get stomped. Ray could learn a thing or two from you in that department."

Michael’s eyes opened wide. " _What?_ ”

Gym Leader Ali only laughed, leaning forward. “Oh yeah. He beat me alright, but he could have easily done it in half the time. Instead he insisted on using just about his whole damn team. Total showman."

Michael blinked.

"Not that there’s anything wrong with that," Ali continued, holding her curled hand in front of her face, inspecting her nails through the use of her glasses. “There’s absolutely both an audience and a market for flashy trainers. He might even stand a shot at beating the Elite Four. But you’ll be right on his heels. And my money’s on you, kid."

It was all a little too much. Once upon a time, not even that long ago, Michael might have basked in the praise. But his experiences in Cobbleton had left him humbled, and he was still nursing the blows to his pride. Ali’s support left him feeling as uncomfortable as Ryan’s had, like the victory was hollow, like he still had something to prove, his redemption incomplete.

"That’s very kind of you to say," he replied in a soft voice.

"Well it’s true. You and Ray have us League members all abuzz. Everyone wants to see what Professor Ramsey’s star pupils can pull off."

Michael allowed himself to smile at the invocation of Geoff’s name. Any implication that he wasn’t letting his mentor down was enough to raise his spirits. The muscle’s in his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.

"So it’s my pleasure to bestow upon you the same reward I gave your rival."

Michael’s eyes went wide at the sight of the data disc Gym Leader Ali pulled from her desk.

"Unless I’m mistaken, this should be your first Hidden Machine, yeah?"

The case read ‘HM01’. He’d learned about this at the Academy, Michael nodding in silence, turning the disc over in his hands as he wracked his brain to remember which ability he was holding.

Gym Leader Ali continued to speak, solving the mystery. “It’s HM01, of course. Cut. And it requires the Ingot Badge to boot up. Unlike TMs though, you can use it as many times as you want." Ali winked. “You knew that though, right?"

Michael did his best to come off as calm and confident, nodding with what he hoped looked like an easy grin. “It’s something I basically need, right? It’s something the League utilizes to make sure you go to the Gyms in the right order?"

Ali’s eyes shone with amusement. “You’ll see." She rose from behind her desk, strolling casually over to one of the aquarium walls, her eyes focused somewhere within the depths. “There’s something else the League is whispering about, Trainer Michael. A young Pokemon breeder from a nursery near Cobbleton."

” _Gavin?_ ”

Gym Leader Ali cast a smile back over her shoulder, jerking his chin in the direction of the Arena. “Is he out there?"

Michael was too stunned to do anything but tell the truth. “Uh, yeah, he is. Why the hell-" he choked and cut himself off, swallowing and starting again. “Why are they interested in Gavin?"

Gym Leader Ali turned all the way around and sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and giving Michael a tired, patient smile that made him feel like a particularly dense student under her tutelage. “Because he’s traveling with _you_."

Michael’s eyes lacked understanding and Ali uncrossed her arms, pushing away from the wall to lean against the front of her desk, filling Michael’s field vision and forcing him to look at her. She smiled and spoke slowly.

"You’re a student of Professor Ramsey. You’ve got an equally well-known rival you’re competing against. You’re plowing through Gyms. So I’m asking _you_ Michael, and what we all want to know is what is it about that breeder?"

Michael could feel his temperature rising with each second that went by of conversation focused on his partnership with Gavin. First Gym Leader Ryan, then Ray and now this. It didn’t seem fair, it struck him as invasive and personal and- that was it, wasn’t it?

"I’m- not sure," he finally replied, letting out a long sigh as he looked up to fully meet Gym Leader Ali’s eyes. “He’s a good guy. He’s my friend. It made sense to invite him along."

Michael bit his tongue on a curse when Ali gave him that same knowing smirk that Ryan had, the rest of the conversation unsaid but understood. He got it now. He got why the League was abuzz with gossip. There seemingly _was_ no reason for Gavin to accompany him other than the fact that Michael wanted him there, and _that_ was vague enough to let rumors spread like wildfire.

 _"Your boyfriend’s hot!"_ Ray’s voice rang clear in his mind.

Michael inwardly seethed but set his expression into something as pleasant and neutral as he could manage. All the knowing smiles and raised eyebrows he’d received since they’d arrived here in town were starting to make sense. And he knew that sooner or later, he would have to tell Gavin about what was being whispered about them. _That_ was a conversation Michael planned to put off as long as possible. He had no idea how Gavin would take learning about such probing, personal gossip. He had very little desire to find out. Michael came from a family and city that had no issues with such things but- Michael shook his head. He was getting way too ahead of himself. No reason to let things get out of control.

He shoved it all down and met Gym Leader Ali with a polite nod and smile.

Fortunately, Gym Leader Ali didn’t pry any further, letting him go with a polite dismissal and a lot to think about.

 

Michael hadn’t had to fake exhaustion when he met back up with Gavin to head back to the Inn. Gavin was easily excited enough for the both of them, chattering happily the whole walk back, allowing Michael to smile and nod and retreat into his thoughts. His mind was on their next move. The next town on his list was Goldboro, and there was a mountain in their way. Michael wanted to make his own mind up on their options before he brought it up with Gavin. Because they had two choices; they could go over it, or through it.

Gavin had to ask his question twice before Michael realized he was expected to answer. “What?"

"Don’t you want the first shower?"

They’d made it back to their room, and Michael had just sat down on the edge of his bed, still zoned out and nodding along to Gavin’s one-sided conversation. The whole world buzzed fuzzy around the edges.

"Oh. Yeah, thanks. Sorry man, I’m kind of spacey right now."

"I can tell," Gavin smiled, shrugging out of his apron and kicking off his shoes. “A few minutes ago I told you my neck was killing me and you smiled and said ‘right on’."

Michael immediately paled and Gavin laughed at his expression. “Don’t worry Michael, I know you’re decompressing right now. Just get your ridiculous self in the shower and clear your head."

Michael gratefully followed the suggestion, shaking his head and laughing at himself. He practically fell into bed once he emerged, and by the time Gavin had finished his own shower, Michael was snoring.

Gavin smiled. But the sun was barely setting, and something about the Iron Springs skyline called to Gavin.

He realized he wasn’t tired.

Taking his time, Gavin wrote a note out for Michael on the Inn’s complementary pad of paper, that he wanted to check out the Pokemart one last time and that he’d be back shortly, to call him over the Pokegear if he really needed to.

Out of reflex, Gavin reached for his forest green breeder apron, but his hand hesitated mid-grab. He always made a point to dress “professionally" when out with Michael. People recognized Michael, or were starting to, and Gavin felt comfortable and confident in his work clothes. No one ever questioned his validity in League situations, and he felt a responsibility to represent his grandparent’s nursery with respect and dignity. Going out by himself though-

Gavin grinned as he left the apron on it’s hook and pulled his shoes back on. It would be nice to roam the streets as just some guy. He told himself he’d only be out for a few hours anyway, shutting the room door quietly on the way out to let Michael keep sleeping.

 

Gavin decided he was going to miss Iron Springs. The city had so much to offer besides the Gym, and it was a shame they hadn’t had to chance to explore it further. Michael would surely want to leave town the following day, and Gavin couldn’t blame him, not with Ray several days ahead of them. The rain was light this evening, but Gavin was still all too happy to get out of it, ducking into what looked to be an all-hours diner somewhere near the Pokemart he’d been frequenting with Michael.

He blinked in the dim light of the establishment, used to the bright overhead fluorescence common in League buildings. This place had just about all of the visibility of a cave by comparison, and Gavin took the first available seat at the bar, grateful for the little lamp that clicked on in front of him as he sat down. He smiled at the employee who brought him a menu and a cup of coffee, leisurely warming his hands around the porcelain mug as he perused the selections of the restaurant.

There were fellow customers on either side of Gavin, but he hadn’t paid them any mind. Most of the other patrons dining at the bar had newspapers to read or were fixated on a digital screen. It was a common sight.

It wasn’t until after Gavin had ordered his sandwich that the young man sitting to his left struck up conversation.

"Sure does rain a lot here, yeah?"

Gavin raised an eyebrow, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that he was the one being spoken to. “Ah, yeah, sure does. I’ve never seen anything like it."

The stranger smiled. “You’re an out-of-towner, too?"

Gavin decided that he didn’t want to throw Michael name around unless he could help it, so he kept his personal details vague. “Yeah, been here about four days. Just passing through."

"Huh, me too. Passing through, that is. I’ve been here a couple weeks."

Gavin just smiled and nodded, a little uncomfortable at the attention but not wanting to be rude. This guy wasn’t shy at all about eye contact, and Gavin did his best not to squirm.

"Chris," the other man said suddenly, holding his hand out for Gavin to shake. “Good to meet you."

Gavin stared at the outstretched hand for only a heartbeat before accepting it, smiling at he shook Chris’s hand. “Gavin. Cheers."

Chris grinned ear to ear and let Gavin’s hand go, taking a sip from the drink in front of him. “So, you a trainer?"

"Well, not exactly. I do have some Pokemon, though."

Chris nodded slowly, giving Gavin a strange look, as if he were trying to make up his mind about something. “Right. I guess you could say the same thing about me."

Something itched in the back of Gavin’s thoughts but he couldn’t pinpoint it. Chris went on to continue complaining lightheartedly about the rain, talking about his favorite restaurants in Iron Springs, praising the theater performance he’d seen the other night, so on and so forth. Gradually, Gavin felt himself loosening up. Both of their food came out, and the conversation continued between bites. Without giving too much personal information, Gavin told Chris that he’d traveled from Cobbleton, and that he’d probably be leaving town in the next day or so.

"Aw, that’s a shame," Chris grinned, swallowing the final bite of his meal. “You seem like a cool guy, Gavin."

Gavin smiled back. It _was_ a shame. He liked Chris. He enjoyed Michael’s company well enough and certainly wouldn’t’ trade it for anything. It was just nice to have a fresh face to converse with, especially someone who didn’t already know his story. It was nice to lay low.

"Well if you’re a traveler we’ll probably meet up again soon."

Gavin grinned, wide and genuine. “Yeah, totally." Chris returned the smile, and Gavin finished up the end of his meal. He was pretty proud of himself. This could be an alliance that would help them in the future. He knew that with each city they approached, the challenges would increase in every way conceivable. A fellow enthusiast could only be a boon. Chris might not be a true trainer, but neither was Gavin, and he relished at the possibility of finding a non-intimidating friend. Michael, hopefully, would also approve.

Chris continued with the small talk as Gavin finished eating, apparently operating on a leisurely schedule. It wasn’t until Gavin checked a glance at the time on his Pokegear that his eyes went wide and his quickly stated that he needed to be heading out. Chris simply smiled and nodded, suggesting they exchanged contact info, which they did.

Gavin settled up his tab and walked back along the drizzling streets to the Inn. It felt good to make a new acquaintance. He looked forward to telling Michael about it.

He hadn’t noticed when Chris had watched him leave from the door of the diner.

He hadn’t noticed when another young man stepped out to join him, blond hair in stark contrast to Chris’s brown.

A young man who had handed Chris a thick black jacket that matched the one he was already wearing, with a red letter ‘R’ emblazoned on the front.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun was up.

Gavin was smiling.

"Mogar has learned Cut!" proclaimed the digital voice of Michael’s Pokegear. They were outside the Iron Springs city limits and the rain was already letting up and Gavin couldn’t be more pleased. Michael had taught his Teddiursa HM01, a practical choice that Gavin had nodded in approval of. There was a definite beaten dirt path for them to travel, a welcome change from the wild undergrowth they’d cut their way through to reach Iron Springs. Trees lined both sides of the road, but did nothing to obscure the mountain they were quickly approaching, Mt. Flint.

Gavin had been exhausted by the time he’d made it back to the room at the Inn the night before. Michael had still been sound asleep as he’d crawled into bed, ready for the inevitable early morning.

It wasn’t quite as early as he’d suspected, and by the time they’d checked out and hit the road, it was already time for the afternoon dry spell. Gavin half-suspected that Michael had planned it that way. They’d both had enough rain in the past week to last a lifetime.

By the time the rains would have begun again, they were far enough past the Iron Spring city limits to escape them.

Gavin hadn’t felt this relaxed since Cobbleton. He’d even forgotten to mention his new acquaintance to Michael, a detail that seemed thoroughly unimportant.

Michael on the other hand, had been acting distracted for the past hour. After the fifth time of looking at Gavin like he was about to ask a question, hesitate, and turn back around, Gavin finally sighed loud enough to make him turn around fully. Michael looked conflicted but Gavin wore a rueful smile. “Just spit it out already, something’s on your mind."

Michael scowled but complied. “I think we should go through the mountain."

Gavin, honestly, hadn’t thought that far ahead and cocked his head to the side as he processed the statement. “Is there another way than that to get by?"

"Well," Michael rubbed at his shoulder. “There’s a rough path leading over it. Either way it’s gonna be pretty rough. But I’m not seeing any new Pokemon out here, nothing that wasn’t also back in Iron Springs. I’m guessing there’s gonna be more variety in the caves. Shit’s gonna get real once we get to Goldboro. Gym Leader Miles is a Psychic specialist. Dash has Dark moves, but she’s not Dark _Type_."

"Or you could catch a Ghost?" Gavin’s eyes lit up and Michael was a little unnerved by the grin on Gavin’s face, exposing hints of his personality that Michael had yet to discover. “Ghost types are _top_ , Michael. Tesla is a Ghost type as well as Electric, you know. Well. When he’s not holding anything."

Michael arched an eyebrow. So many questions. “How’d you get a Rotom, anyways? I’ve been meaning to ask." He’d heard of the species before in his studies at the Academy, but they weren’t native to their region, at least as far as the League was aware.

Gavin just smiled and shrugged. “Present from my grandfather. I have no idea how he got him, though. I’ve always assumed it was via one of our guests. People from all over the world have stopped at the nursery and my grandfather is always all too ready to pick their brains for his research."

Michael nodded as he chewed the information. “And what do you mean, when he’s not holding anything?"

Gavin’s face lit up with the excitement of an enthusiast in full swing. “Well, I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet, but if you have a Rotom hold certain appliances-"

” _Appliances?_ ”

"Yeah, electric appliances, well they’ll change shape. And type. Rotoms are electric ghosts, they kind of like, possess the thing I guess. Like if they _possess_ an electric fan they’ll gain Flying abilities, or Grass abilities from a lawnmower. Rotoms are the only Pokemon who can do it and I think it’s _really cool_ Michael!"

So many emotions were swirling through Michael’s head as he tried to keep a straight face. Gavin’s passion for the subject was so palpable, Michael had to struggle not to laugh. “I mean, that does sound really cool, Gavin." And it did. Beneath the amusement he felt a strange sense of awe. He hadn’t known about Rotom’s ability to shift Types. There probably weren’t a lot of people who did in this part of the world. Gavin continued to impress him.

"But anyways, yeah, you should catch a Ghost type if we find one in the cave. If nothing else, Ghastly is pretty common."

Michael let him ramble on about Ghost types while his shoulders slowly relaxed. He’d been worried about suggesting they travel through the mountain, expecting to have to persuade Gavin into it. This response was better than he’d had any reason to expect. _Then again_ , Michael thought with a sigh, _I don’t think he’s realizes we’re going to be sleeping in there_. They were less than an hour from the base of Mt. Flint and the first set of caves Michael expected to navigate on his journey. Unfortunately, it probably wouldn’t be the last. With a quiet smile, he let Gavin talk excitedly to his heart’s content while he still had a reason to.

 

"I guess I didn’t really realize we were gonna be sleeping in here," Gavin mumbled, spreading out his sleeping bag on the hard stone ground.

Michael had the decency not to laugh.

It had been a long day. Gavin had been so excited when a flock of Zubats had flown at them the moment they entered the caves. He’d never seen a Zubat before. Now he never wanted to see one again. They couldn’t make it more than a stone’s throw without getting attacked, and while it was great for the levels of their teams, it was quickly grew tedious. Michael hadn’t wanted them to use Repels and miss out on the experience, and from a trainer’s point of view, that strategy was logical.

Gavin was ready to hang logic by the toes.

"Just the one night, so long as we don’t get lost."

Gavin’s eyes went wide with terror and Michael had to laugh.

"We’re not gonna get lost, Gavin. Chill out."

Gavin flushed, glad for the dim light of the make-shift campsite. The cave ceiling was high enough that Michael figured they could safely build a small fire without smothering themselves in the smoke. They both had flashlights and Michael had a small battery powered lantern, but they’d decided not to use them after the fire was started. They’d need all the battery strength they could get out of them the next day to finish their crawl through the caverns. And Gavin’s Vulpix knew Ember.

"Do you think it’s safe to just sleep without tents like this?" Gavin mused aloud.

"Why not? We sprayed enough Repel on our stuff to last the night and it doesn’t rain in caves."

Gavin didn’t like it but also didn’t reply, just shrugging and zipping himself into the sleeping bag. He told himself that Michael had more experience than him with this sort of thing. He told himself that if Michael said it was safe, it must be.

The reassurances didn’t help much as Gavin drifted into an uncomfortable sleep.

 

"Are you sure you saw people come in this way?"

"Yeah, now keep your voice down."

The two members of Team Rocket slowly moved through the caves of Mt. Flint, generously doused in Repel, hoping to catch up with the adventurers one said he’d seen wander in. They weren’t on a specific assignment, which meant their orders were the same for all low-level grunts currently not on a mission: try to steal Pokemon. Any Pokemon. Send them back to headquarters. Repeat.

They’d both signed up around the same time, just a few months prior, and had decided to form an alliance of sorts after meeting in Iron Springs. Both of them still wore the long sleeved black jackets and hats of a new recruit. Neither of them had actually stolen anything yet. And both were itching to prove their worth. Success meant promotions and glory and wealth and were all quite appealing to the young men in question.

"Quiet, shut your light off," Grunt Kerry’s voice was barely a whisper. Grunt Chris complied. When both flashlights were off the soft glow of a campfire could be seen in the distance. They were close to their target.

Kerry swallowed hard as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim, distant light. “Okay," he whispered, trying to ignore the way his heart hammered against his ribs. “Okay, let’s do this."

Chris nodded, squared his shoulders, and set his mouth in a thin line. No going back now. This was it. Their first real act as members of Team Rocket.

Quietly, carefully, they made their way closer to the source of the fire, stepping over uneven rocky ground. Rounding a corner, they braced for a fight, ready for anything.

What they found instead were two young men already asleep, the dying remains of their campfire glowing a dull red. It didn’t look like they had much in the way of supplies or valuables, but out of the corner of Kerry’s eye he caught sight of the green apron of a Pokemon breeder.

Which meant they were possibly in luck.

Kerry let himself grin as he reached his hand forward, slowly, carefully, into one of the sleeper’s travel packs. His hand twisted back and forth, encountering the smooth, curved plastic of Pokeballs.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you’re doing?"

Grunt Kerry damn near jumped out of his skin, letting out a startled yelp and whipping his head around to see one of the would-be victims sitting straight up, rage written clearly across his face.

His eyes darted over to Chris, who was frozen in fear, one hand outstretched towards a backpack.

All the noise they were making woke up Gavin, startling awake and attempting to scramble to his feet along with Michael, both young men now ready for action.

For a moment, the four of them just stared at each other in tense silence, Michael and Gavin glancing from side to side while Kerry and Chris did the same. The each looked from one to another, no one daring to move.

Grunt Kerry was the first to pull himself together, pushing his shoulders back and doing his best to assume an air of authority. “Go ahead and surrender. All Pokemon exist to serve Team Rocket."

"Horse-fucking- _shit!_ " Michael spat, his hand reaching for a Pokeball that wasn’t there off the belt he wasn’t wearing. His breath hissed in through clenched teeth. He didn’t dare take his eyes off the others to look for it.

It was a stalemate.

No one seemed to have noticed that Gavin was slowly reaching for his flashlight until he turned it on, earning a shocked, collective gasp, his own figure obscured thanks to his position behind the source of light.

"Were you trying to rob us?" Gavin asked incredulously, more shocked and hurt than Michael’s counterpart response of snarling anger, voice breaking in near hysteria.

Kerry didn’t recognize him, but Kerry had only seen him from behind the night before at the diner.

But Chris did. Chris’s eyes went wide, his blood turning to ice, blushing hard as he lowered his head, hoping the visor of his hat would hide the features of his face. The situation had become a hundred times more complicated than it was the heartbeat before. Gavin’s accent was a dead giveaway, even if Chris couldn’t fully see him. It was definitely the young man he’d met the night before.

Grunt Kerry was unaffected by Chris’s sudden revelation, responding to Gavin’s question with venom in his voice. “We _are_ robbing you."

Gavin’s expression went pale, but Michael just kept swearing. “Like _dicks_ you are. What the fuck are you gonna do? Do you have a weapon? No, you don’t, because you’re just fucking grunts. Now get the fuck out of here."

Chris remained conspicuously quiet. Kerry flushed hard. “How the _hell_ do you know we don’t have weapons?"

"Because I know you’re not _allowed_ to. Team Rocket doesn’t trust grunts with them. I also know that you’re fucking with the wrong trainer right now, I’ve got League ties like you wouldn’t believe and I bet the Goldboro police would _love_ an excuse to arrest some Team Rocket garbage."

Chris swallowed hard and kept his chin down, trying not to let on that he was breaking out in a cold sweat. Gavin had his contact info. Gavin was apparently _that_ Gavin. Gavin the breeder, Gavin the traveling companion to a certain up-and-coming trainer from Lazuli City. Chris wanted to _run_. “Kerry," he kept his voice pitched low, attempting to mask it, “Let’s just get out of here." Their plan was unraveling faster than he could keep up with, and he nearly melted with relief when Kerry gave him a slight, curt nod.

"Whatever," Kerry announced with false bravado. “You probably don’t have anything worth stealing, anyway." A twitch of his arm was the only warning Michael and Gavin had before Kerry threw the smoke capsule hidden in his pocket, filling of their vision and lungs with thick, purple smoke.

By the time they were able to fan the smoke out of their faces, Michael and Gavin realized they were alone once more in the caves.

"Dammit," Michael swore, coughing hard and bracing his hands on the front of his thighs. “Fucking _assholes_. I guess we’re gonna have to sleep in shifts from now on when we’re not at an Inn."

Gavin frowned, coughing into his fist, blinking to clear his eyes. “I can’t believe we were almost robbed."

Michael sighed hard, dreading what he was about to have to say. “You might wanna check your bag. The blonde guy was digging around in it when I woke up."

Michael would have given anything to undo the look that came across Gavin’s face as he stared in horror before scrambling for his pack. Michael’s heart sank as Gavin’s rummaging became increasingly desperate.

"Are you missing anything?" Michael asked with a growing sense of defeat.

"Theodora," Gavin muttered frantically under his breath, dumping the contents of his bag out onto his sleeping roll, shaking hands flipping over little odds and ends to uncover something that wasn’t there. “And the Nincada you gave me. They’re both gone. They can’t be. They have to be here. They’ve gotta be here _somewhere_ -"

"Gavin," Michael breathed out, closing the distance between them and placing a hand on Gavin’s shoulder when the other man wouldn’t respond. “Gavin, _stop_. What’s done is done. Let’s try and figure out what to do about it, okay? Gavin?"

Gavin’s hands wouldn’t stop moving. Michael had to physical grab him and turn him to get acknowledged.

” _Gavin._ ”

"We have to get them back, Michael."

Michael fought hard against sighing.

Feebas and Nincada were _everywhere_. Common Pokemon, easy to replace. His instincts burned against what his heart was begging of him.

"Gavin-"

"Michael we have to get them back! We’re going to get them back, right?"

Gavin could read the reluctance in Michael’s eyes and it only made his panic worse, instantly intensified.

"Michael, _please!_ ”

Michael winced.

"You said- you said Team Rocket were bad people, you said they do experiments-" All the color drained from Gavin’s face and unshed tears shown in the corners of his eyes.

Michael let out a long breath, his shoulders sagging. After all, what choice did he have. “Yeah Gavin, we’ll get them back. Don’t worry. I don’t know how the fuck we’re gonna do it, but I promise we’ll try, okay?"

Gavin’s eyes shut and Michael’s heart broke.

Gavin carefully put his possessions back in his bag, eyes down, pulling his knees up against his chest once he’d finished.

"It’s my fault," Gavin finally muttered.

"What? Don’t even say shit like that."

"It is my fault. I should have said something about sleeping like this out in the open, I should have been stubborn about it and I wasn’t and we got robbed."

"Gavin-" Michael fought against rolling his eyes, rising from his seat on the ground to plop down next to Gavin, putting a friendly arm around his shoulders. “That’s nuts. Those assholes were probably tracking us. They’re bad people, you can’t blame yourself for bad people." Michael let out a short, humorless, laugh. “Typical Team Rocket. Those guys had no idea what they were doing."

"But they still managed to rob us."

"Listen to me," Michael gave Gavin’s shoulders a shake for emphasis. “When we get to Goldboro we’ll go to the police. We’ll get your Pokemon tagged as stolen. If they try to send them anywhere over a PC box, they’ll get caught. Okay?"

Gavin sniffed and Michael suppressed the urge to set the entire world on fire.

"Okay," Gavin finally replied.

"Do you think you’ll be able to go back to sleep?"

"Probably not."

Michael scowled. “Yeah, I probably won’t either."

An eternity passed.

"Do you wanna keep moving?" The question came from Gavin.

Michael let his nerves cool before responding.

"We might as well."

 

They had no physical sign of the sun rising, but somehow Michael and Gavin were able to tell that the next day had arrived. Deep in the abyss of Mt. Flint, they met wave after wave of wild encounters.

"Fucking _Zubats!_ " Michael bellowed, his temper shattering. “I am so _over this shit!_ ”

Gavin’s mood hadn’t helped since they’d abandoned their camp in the middle of the night. He’d been on the edge of a knife-point, cringing at simple noises and jumping at shadows. Michael was ready to throttle him.

Gavin had winced, casting Tesla into play. His team was exhausted, his morale still thrown completely off kilter due to missing two of his beloved charges.

As a testament to his exhaustion, Gavin miscalculated and watched as his Rotom fainted.

For the first time since he’d joined up with Michael, he fled from battle.

The two of them took off running, Michael cursing under his breath, Gavin too emotionally exhausted to care.

Though Michael surely thought it was impossible, he could have sworn he could see natural light in the distance. About to dismiss it as fantasy, his heart skipped a beat when he heard Gavin’s quick intake of breath.

"I think we’re almost there-" the breeder muttered, eyes wide and barely sane.

"Don’t jinx us-"

Two heartbeats raced as one-

And then immediately dropped through the floor.

A flourish of a black satin cape lined with red fabric broke both of their gazes towards the endgame. They were so close. They were _so_ close!

Gavin’s vision turned red. He didn’t want this. He didn’t have time for this.

Michael only sighed, the air exiting his lungs a testament of his displeasure.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

Ray only grinned. “I suppose I could ask you the same thing."

"We’re going to Goldboro, asshole. You haven’t been there yet?"

"I’ve been leveling. I’ll admit I didn’t expect to see you."

"So what of it?"

Michael seethed while Ray grinned, immediately regretting his question.

"Well then, Michael. Since you’re here. Want to make things interesting?"


	6. Chapter 6

"Well then, Michael. Want to make things interesting?"

Michael’s eyes bore into Ray’s skull, doing his best to murder him with his gaze alone. “No. I don’t."

"Well that’s too bad."

Gavin threw his forearm up to cover his eyes when Ray cast a Pokemon into play, the bright light bursting out, blinding them all.

"Go, Roselia!"

"What are you _doing?_ " Michael yelled, his nerves stretched to the breaking point.

"If you can beat me, I’ll let you by. Otherwise you’ve gotta turn your ass back around and go over the mountain."

Gavin’s face went gray while Michael’s went red. " _What?_ No _fucking_ way!"

"What’s the matter? Don’t think you’ve got what it takes?"

"We don’t have _time_ for this, Ray."

"Are you gonna battle me or not?"

Time stopped. Michael scowled, his face twisted in rage. He needed to get to Goldboro. Needed to eat some decent food, sleep in a real bed. Needed to get to the police. He needed to get that awful, fearful look out of Gavin’s eyes.

And he needed, _needed_ deep down in the pit of his soul, to stomp Ray into the fucking ground.

Michael blinked.

"And if I win, you’ll leave us the fuck alone?"

Ray just smiled and shrugged, like he wasn’t worried about the possibility. “Sure, why not."

From one moment to the next, Michael made up his mind.

"Get out there, Mogar!"

Gavin backed away from the two teenagers slowly circling each other, years of training and rivalry orchestrating their every move.

"Mogar, Fury Swipes!"

"Roselia, Poison Sting!"

” _Faint Attack!_ ”

Mogar had taken a decent amount of damage off Ray’s first Pokemon, but it wasn’t enough. Poison Sting took it’s toll and Michael swore violently as he reluctantly called the Teddiursa back to his ball.

"You’re a piece of shit, Ray!"

Ray’s calm, smug manner only furthered Michael’s blinding anger.

Gavin, quietly observing, made mental notes of the situation. He’d never seen Michael angry like this before. He knew he was capable of it, but had never witnessed it first hand. Gavin wondered if it was similar to what had happened at Ryan’s Gym. He certainly seemed to be seething in the same way he had been that first fateful night he’d stumbled into Gavin’s life.

"Alright. Alright. I’m done fucking around. Go, Dash!"

Michael’s Luxio burst from her capsule ready for battle.

"Dash, Spark!"

Gavin winced. When Michael was angry, Michael made rash decisions. When Michael was angry, Michael made mistakes.

The Pokegear on all three of their wrists narrated in unison.

"It’s not very effective!"

Ray just smirked.

"Roselia, Mega Drain!"

Again, the Gear spoke up.

"Critical hit!"

Michael’s curses echoed off the cavern walls but Gavin’s face just fell. They _needed_ to get to Goldboro as soon as possible, to catch up with those two Team Rocket grunts. The though of his stolen Pokemon made his throat itch and swell, trying to force himself to stay positive and focus on the match unfolding before him.

Again, Michael brought a Pokemon back to it’s ball, now defunct on his leather belt. He was already down two, and he didn’t even know how many Ray currently had on his team. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a split second, Michael finally glanced to the side to catch a glimpse at Gavin, who was watching him with what looked like weary support.

Michael steeled his resolve.

"Okay. Bellsprout, let’s do this!"

Grass against Grass.

Yet again, Gavin couldn’t look. Bellsprout and Roselia both were unaffected by Grass attacks with no penalty so far as their secondary Poison status could grant them.

Ray was apparently a higher level. Therefore, he got to attack first.

"Leech Seed!"

Michael groaned, wiping his open palm over his face.

The Pokegear narrated:

"Michael’s Bellsprout has been seeded!"

Turn based attack. Yet another move that would sap the life of his current Pokemon. From the sidelines, Gavin tried to hide his dismayed expression.

Michael’s eyes slid closed when a turn later, his Bellsprout fainted.

He had one left. And Ray had the advantage.

Michael bit his lip. “Alright. Fine. Let’s do this, Sofa King!"

Ray’s eyebrow’s raised as his smile widened. “Sofa King?"

” _Shut up!_ ”

"Water against Grass, not a very good position to be in Michael."

"I said _shut up!_ ”

"Roselia, Magical Leaf!"

All three of their Gears chimed in at once:

"It’s super effective!"

Michael stared straight ahead at a fixed point past Ray’s shoulder as his Goldeen warped back to his ball. He could see the Goldboro skyline past the huge mouth of the cave.

They were so close.

Michael didn’t have the nerve to look at Gavin. Stumbling a few steps out of the makeshift battle ring, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Don’t get too comfy on the ground there, you’re about to turn your happy ass back to the way you came." Ray started to walk over to the two of them and Michael almost got to his weary feet when Gavin surprised both Michael and Ray by approaching him.

"You’ve still got me to go through."

Michael’s jaw dropped.

"This’ll be rich," Ray sneered.

Gavin just kept his chin high, ignoring the taunt. His eyes were dark, and Michael wondered what could possibly be going through his mind. Gavin hadn’t come prepared to battle and all of them knew that. His Rotom had fainted back in the caves, his Vulpix almost completely drained of health. He had something else on his belt but Michael couldn’t for the life of him remember what it was. Surely nothing that could stand a chance against Ray. Gavin tried to shove that same thought out of his mind as he took Michael’s former place on the scuffed stone ground, waiting for Ray to accept his challenge.

"Okay," Gavin muttered to himself, his hands twitching nervously. “Okay. Right."

"Have you ever even battled someone before?" Ray called out from his side of the crude ring of dirt they were using as boundaries.

"He’s beat me more than once," Michael said truthfully, setting his pride aside in an attempt to give Gavin a boost of confidence.

Gavin gave him a shaky grin but inside was fucking terrified. “Alright," his eyes closed and he let his shoulders sag as he took a deep breath. “Let’s get started, Vulpix."

"Are you nuts?" Ray laughed, checking the statistics on his Pokegear. “She’s got like, five HP."

"Yeah, but she’s still fast," Gavin muttered with a shaky grin. “Which means I go first. Come on girl, let’s see a Fire Spin."

With a tired but determined growl, the Vulpix braced to attack and sent out a spiraling serpent of flame that encircled Ray’s Roselia. Even though she’d been at full strength, Gavin had the type advantage, taking a significant chunk of damage from Roselia’s health.

Ray cursed at the damage but didn’t lose his confident smirk. “Well congratulations, that was your one effective move. Roselia, Magical Leaf!"

Michael swore under his breath, watching Vulpix faint and warp back into the Pokeball Gavin had waiting for her.

And then, to the surprise of two of them, Gavin’s wager came into play. All three young men reacted differently to Fire Spin’s second turn, despite Vulpix no longer being in the match. Michael gasped aloud and Ray just scowled. The corner of Gavin’s lip quirked up but it was still too soon for hope.

Ray’s eyes narrowed. “Alright smart ass, now what."

Gavin reached for the second ball on his belt and closed his eyes for a moment, pressing his lips against the smooth, curved surface. “Sorry to do this, love," he murmured, and cast the ball out into play. “Go, Tesla!"

Michael winced. The Rotom hadn’t fainted in this match, which meant he got to come back with one single point of health, and Gavin could either use his turn to heal him or make another move. And since Gavin didn’t have any Potions on him, it was looking to be another desperate offensive attack.

"What are you _doing?_ " Michael grit out, loud enough for Gavin to hear.

"Buying myself a turn," Gavin breathed back. “Tesla, Astonish!"

It was a testament to Gavin’s training that his Pokemon were willing to obey him exhausted, and Michael’s heart broke as he watched the determined, pained expression on Gavin’s face when Ray easily fainted the Rotom. But he’d scored another few points with Tesla’s attack, and sure enough, Fire Spin roared up to surround Ray’s Grass type in a fiery prison for a third time.

"Motherfuck," Ray spat. Roselia was critically low. “How many fucking turns does that thing last?"

Gavin managed a weak smile, sweat beading at the nape of his neck. “Five if I’m lucky."

” _Five?_ ”

"If I’m lucky."

Ray’s glare darkened, but he simply squared his shoulders and brushed some of the dust that had gathered off his shoulder. “Let’s see if you are. What’re you hiding in there?"

Gavin chewed his bottom lip as his fingertips traced over the surface of his last Pokeball. “Here goes nothing," he whispered, arm pulling back dramatically to cast the ball into play. “Get out there, Lazarus!"

"Lazarus?"

Michael didn’t have to wait long to see who Lazarus was, his jaw nearly dropping off his face as Gavin’s fucking Magikarp entered the ring.

_"I can’t believe you’re raising a Magikarp."_

_"Don’t be ridiculous, Lazzers is the best."_

"You- have got- to be _kidding_ me!" Ray gasped out, the slack expression quickly giving way to howling laughter. “Oh my god- oh my god kid, you are amazing."

Gavin just ignored him, his eyes still narrowed. “Lazarus, Tackle."

"You’re so serious the way you said it! Like you’re actually trying to win with him. Oh my _god_ , you know I’ve still got my Sandshrew too, right?

"Take your turn."

Ray might not have appreciated Gavin’s attitude, but Michael was mesmerized. His body language had shifted completely. And he looked so fucking ridiculous, the poor guy, standing there in an apron and bandana indicative of peaceful breeders, taking on Ray with a _Magikarp_. And yet-

"Fine," Ray gasped out as he fought to get his laugher under control. “Roselia, Leech Seed."

It wasn’t a strong attack. They both knew it. And it was at that moment that Gavin actually grinned.

Fire Spin’s fourth turn twirled up around Roselia, enough to finally faint her. Ray no longer seemed concerned, but Gavin’s eyes were gleaming.

"Looks like I’m lucky after all. Didn’t even need five."

"Yeah whatever, now get ready to splash yourself to death."

"My turns not over."

"What do you mean-"

All three of their Gears went off with a soft ding, announcing that a Pokemon had gone up a level. Michael and Ray both physically looked down to see who, and what level. Gavin didn’t. He already knew. Plus, neither of them had a chance to properly read their screens before a white, blinding flash filled their vision.

"No-" Ray’s threw his forearm over his eyes to protect them. “NO!"

"Yes," Michael hissed, blinking hard after the light cleared. “Oh holy shit, _yes!_ ”

All three devices spoke at once. “Magikarp has evolved."

A low rumble emerged from the throat of Lazarus reborn, huge blue scales of plated armor shifting and stretching as Gavin’s newly evolved Gyrados adjusted to his massive, looming body. Gavin’s eyes were wide, adrenaline pumping through his veins, his gaze finally wrenching away from his transformed friend and landing on Ray with an unhinged, feral grin. " _Now_ it’s your turn."

Michael was punch-drunk at the look on Ray’s face. Shocked and embarrassed and furious. All the things he’d made Michael feel time and again and this was just _too good_. “Get him," Michael whispered.

Ray just cursed and spat. “Alright, get out there Sandshrew."

"Lazarus," Gavin’s voice rang out clear, the dragon glancing back at him with hungry anticipation, now able to properly acknowledge Gavin for the first time in their partnership. Gavin gave his command calmly. “Bite."

Ray actually yelped out and ducked when the massive Pokemon came barreling towards his side of the ring.

The Dark type move didn’t have an advantage over Ground, but the sheer amount of attack power Lazarus had just gained through evolution more than made up for it. Ray’s Gear flashed red to indicate a critical hit, crying out inarticulately in anguish when his Sandshrew fainted.

Gavin didn’t holler or jump and barely even smiled, the high of victory draining out of him quickly, leaving him exhausted. With a flick of his wrist he summoned Lazarus back to his familiar ball, clipping it back to his belt.

"How?" Ray called out impotently as Gavin started to walk away, towards Michael. “How the fuck did you beat me?"

"You underestimated me," Gavin replied, brushing the dirt off his apron. “You didn’t think I had a chance and you didn’t take it seriously. Shoulda fainted Lazarus when you had the chance." Helping Michael to his feet, he let the shorter man throw an arm around his shoulders. They were close enough to the city limits that Gavin could smell the pleasant scents of restaurants serving dinner on open patios, the clean, dry air of Goldboro a pleasure to his abused senses. Now that Ray had promised to leave them alone for the time being, he saw no further need for conversation, not with Goldboro a stone’s throw away.

"So- that’s it? You’re just gonna walk off?"

Gavin’s expression was blank as he turned around to reply, catching Ray off guard. “What do you want from me? I intentionally exhausted two of my Pokemon just to _shut you up_ and get you off our case. Leave us _alone_ , Ray. At least for tonight. Please. I’m hungry. I’m filthy. And right now I need to get to a Pokemon Center." His eyes narrowed, the no-nonsense attitude he always had towards the well-being of the creatures coming out. “I suggest you do the same."

"Michael-" Ray reached out and laid a hand on Michael’s shoulder, but he shrugged it off, just as exhausted as Gavin.

"Fuck off, Ray."

Ray just smoldered at the rejection, clearly thrown off at the deviation from his usual routine with Michael. “Whatever!" he yelled after them. “I’ll get my rematch soon enough."

"What did I get myself into," Gavin muttered out loud, a question he asked himself internally at least a hundred times a day these past couple of weeks. Slowly, exhausted and drained, the two of them exited the caves of Mt. Flint, which to Gavin’s profound relief was practically at the border of Goldboro.

"Don’t worry about him, we’re almost there," Michael replied. They didn’t get too many strange looks shuffling dirty into the Pokemon Center as the sun was going down. It was a pretty common sight, especially for cities with a notable Gym like Goldboro. A few employees here and there would raise an eyebrow at Gavin’s outfit, but never commented. Michael made a note that when things were less chaotic and other issues had been resolved, they should get Gavin some new clothes.

Both Michael and Gavin somehow managed to get through their police report without breaking down, answering the questions of the sympathetic Officer.

By the time they’d finally checked into the Inn, Michael was about ready to drop. If he’d been alone he might have been tempted to fall asleep without bathing, but he’d already lost in front of Gavin today, no need to further smear his reputation. “You want first shower?"

Gavin blinked. After kicking his shoes off he’d zoned out at the wall, but shook himself back to awareness at Michael’s question. “Ah, sure. Thanks. I feel awful." Standing up with a groan, Gavin pulled his dirty apron and bandana off, tossing them both in a pile. Unexpectedly though, his shirt followed, which caused Michael’s eyes to widen and then quickly dart away. Gavin stood and paced into the bathroom. Michael’s gaze raised back up, just in time to see Gavin’s pants get tossed past the threshold before the door closed and the water turned on.

He just stared at the closed door for a moment after that.

 _What the fuck is happening to me?_ With a loud sigh, Michael raked his fingers through his hair. Back at the police station it had taken everything inside Michael to keep from reaching for Gavin’s hand, the need to comfort him almost overwhelming. He’d never- _felt_ this way about anyone before. And that admission to himself made him groan, reaching for a pillow and clutching it to his chest. His situation couldn’t possibly get more ridiculous.

Sooner than he would have expected, Gavin emerged from the bathroom, wearing only a towel around his waist. “All yours."

Michael’s blood turned to ice. He stared gaping for probably a moment too long before he realized Gavin had been talking about the shower.

"Uh- thanks."

Michael dedicated himself to the process of cleansing his body, scrubbing at the skin as if he could wash his problems away with enough elbow grease. By the time Michael was done he’d worked himself up into a full blown pity party, his stomach in knots and ready to climb the walls. He wasn’t prepared for what he saw when he stepped out of the bathroom though, shoulders sagging at the sight of Gavin sitting cross legged on one of the beds, holding a pillow to his chest and quietly crying into it.

"Gavin-"

Gavin’s head snapped up, eyes wide and red and swollen. He sniffed. “I- ah-"

"Hey," Michael didn’t realize his feet were moving until he was seated at Gavin’s side, putting an arm around his shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay, I told you, we’re gonna get them back-"

"It’s not just that," Gavin muttered, wiping his eyes with his arm. “It’s _everything_ Michael, it’s all just been- it’s been _so_ much-"

Michael didn’t hesitate, simply pulling Gavin against him, holding him, not giving a single damn about whether or not it was appropriate- or the fact that both of them were only wearing towels. “It’s okay, Gavin. It’s okay."

As soon as Michael’s arms came up around Gavin’s shoulders, Gavin stopped trying to fight and let himself sob against Michael’s shoulder. All the while, Michael kept murmuring little assurances, getting so bold as to lift a hand up to the back of Gavin’s head, gently stroking his fingers through his hair. Michael ignored the way it made his pulse race, the way his skin prickled with invisible lightning.

For what felt like an eternity they sat like that, Michael letting Gavin get it out of his system, Gavin’s outpouring of emotion a slow, gradual decrescendo, deflating from gut-wrenching sobs to heartfelt whines to gentle sniffs. And then it was just the two of them clinging to one another. Every instinct in Michael’s allegedly straight brain was screaming at him to pull away and brush off the incident, but he didn’t. He kept his arms around Gavin, kept rubbing his back, kept stroking his hair.

And whether it was exhaustion or shock or whatever the reason, Gavin let him.

Another thousand years passed before one of them finally spoke.

"Sorry," Gavin muttered, not raising his head from Michael’s collarbone.

"It’s been a long couple of days. It’s alright, man. Sometimes you just gotta."

"You must think I’m a pushover now."

Michael read the meaning beneath the words, sensed the deep hurt, the traces of self-loathing.

"Don’t be ridiculous."

Michael felt a few fresh, hot tears hit his skin. “How could you not? I’m crying like a baby in a fucking _towel_ -”

"Hey." Michael’s arms tightened, cheeks flushing hot, desperately trying _not_ to think about what he was doing. “I said I get it, okay? This shit’s rough on _me_ , and I’ve been training for this for _years_ okay?"

Gavin didn’t respond, but Michael could feel his shoulders going limp.

"And I fucking swear, we’re gonna get your Pokemon back, okay? I fucking promise, Gavin. I promise."

For the first time since breaking down, Gavin pulled away and looked up to meet Michael’s eyes, shocked by the intensity he saw there. It was a promise Michael had already made, but not with this sort of conviction, and Gavin certainly noticed.

"Michael-"

Time froze for Michael as he looked down on Gavin’s wide-eyed, innocent, vulnerable face. And yeah, maybe he wasn’t really _that_ innocent, but in that moment a fierce, nearly frightening sense of protectiveness swelled in Michael’s chest. Boldly, his pulse hammering in his ears, he eased his fingers out of the short strands of Gavin’s hair, pulling his hand around to cup the side of his face, tracing his thumb along the line of Gavin’s jaw.

Michael swallowed hard.

Gavin wasn’t pulling away.

Michael’s eyes slid closed, letting out a short, frustrated breath, leaning forward.

Though thoroughly tempted, he didn’t kiss Gavin on the mouth. He did, however, press his lips against his forehead, bracing himself to get punched in the face or shoved off the bed, but Gavin only tensed, breath hitching, and if Michael’s eyes hadn’t been closed would have seen him bite down hard on his lower lip.

"We should get some sleep," Michael breathed against Gavin’s skin, reluctantly leaning back, blushing hard and avoiding eye contact. His hands fidgeted with the folds of his towel. “And I need to put some damn clothes on."

It was a weak joke, but it was enough, earning a nervous laugh out of Gavin who agreed and pointedly turned his back while Michael changed into sleeping clothes.

"We’ll follow up with the police first thing in the morning. And at some point I want to check out the Gym. From the sound of it, Ray hasn’t won a badge here yet. That gives me some breathing room."

Gavin nodded, now properly dressed for sleep as well. “I didn’t get a good look around, but this place is covered in sand. You said Gym Leader Miles is a Psychic specialist? This terrain looks more appropriate for Ground or Rock."

Michael shrugged. He thought back on his lessons with Geoff and what he remembered about this part of his intended journey. “Well, they do call Goldboro the City of Sand. I guess the only way to find out is to go investigate."

For the first time that day, Gavin truly smiled. The spark of excitement was back, that yearning for adventure. The way Michael was talking filled him with a hope that he wouldn’t have dared to feel alone. He trusted Michael, in a way he hadn’t trusted anyone before. If Michael swore he’d get his Pokemon back, Gavin supposed he had no choice but to believe him.

As they both settled in to bed, squelching their respective confused emotions, they each took comfort in the other’s presence, content with that little slice of stability in the crazy world they were stumbling through.

"Goodnight Gavin," Michael managed to get out past a yawn.

"Night Michael."


End file.
